unsavory
adjective
un·sa·vory
ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē 
-ˈsāv-rē
2
a
: unpleasant to taste or smell
b
: disagreeable, distasteful
an unsavory assignment
especially
: morally offensive
unsavory business practices
Examples of unsavory in a Sentence
He is an unsavory character.
an unsavory blend of spices that simply overwhelmed the fish's delicate flavor
Recent Examples on the Web
Ensuring that the everyday coat of crumbs, pet hair, and any other unsavory particulate has been removed is essential.
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
The Dodgers immediately fired Mizuhara; investigations were launched by MLB and the IRS; and five days later, Ohtani issued a statement denying any role in a scandal that echoed unsavory chapters of the sport’s past.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
The problem with that perspective is that if a user enters a prompt of some untoward nature, the odds are that society would expect the AI maker to have detected the unsavory matter.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Jillian Michaels has loudly broken her silence on a contentious new docuseries on Netflix, which makes claims about the former The Biggest Loser cohost in a variety of its more unsavory scandals.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
The Dodgers immediately fired Mizuhara; investigations were launched by MLB and the IRS; and five days later, Ohtani issued a statement denying any role in a scandal that echoed unsavory chapters of the sport’s past.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
The problem with that perspective is that if a user enters a prompt of some untoward nature, the odds are that society would expect the AI maker to have detected the unsavory matter.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Jillian Michaels has loudly broken her silence on a contentious new docuseries on Netflix, which makes claims about the former The Biggest Loser cohost in a variety of its more unsavory scandals.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsavory. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unsavory
adjective
un·sa·vory
ˌən-ˈsāv(-ə)-rē
ˈən-
1
: having little or no taste
2
: having a bad taste or smell
3
: morally bad
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share