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

But Wolff has never shown any compunction about biting the hand that feeds him, another unpleasant journalistic qualification. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Nov. 2025

The task, which took two years, was disorienting and fundamentally unpleasant. —Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025

But not all are, and green bean strings can be unpleasant to eat. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Nov. 2025

So very often, the people who are actually telling the truth, which is sometimes unpleasant, they will be voted out for giving that. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025

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