unpleasant

adjective

un·​pleas·​ant ˌən-ˈple-zᵊnt 

: not pleasant : not amiable or agreeable : displeasing

unpleasant odors

unpleasantly adverb

Synonyms of unpleasant

• unpleasing
• harsh
• bad
• nasty
• ugly
• bitter
• sour
• horrible
• disgusting
• awful
• disagreeable
• sickening
• unwelcome
• rotten

Examples of unpleasant in a Sentence

I stopped taking the drug because of its unpleasant side effects.

There was an unpleasant smell coming from the basement.

The weather is so unpleasant here.

I like the shop, but the staff are so unpleasant.

Recent Examples on the Web

Odor Because of the way they are processed (and due to the calcium additive), some brands of shirataki noodles have a distinctive, sometimes unpleasant odor right out of the package. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

One easy way to tackle odors in your bathroom is to place a little bowl of baking soda on a bathroom shelf to absorb any unpleasant smells. —Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 22 Jan. 2026

Like Gant and Holt, most New Yorkers would likely have figured out a nonviolent way to defuse or avoid an unpleasant encounter. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

A day or so after baking chocolate chip cookies, the chocolate chips would develop an unpleasant white haze. —Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unpleasant

• omnipresent
• peasant
• pheasant
• pleasant
• present

Kids Definition

unpleasant

adjective

un·​pleas·​ant ˌən-ˈplez-ᵊnt 

ˈən-

: not pleasant : not friendly or agreeable : displeasing

unpleasantly adverb

unpleasantness noun