as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the new hotel is a displeasing mix of architectural styles
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dissatisfying
to make discontented
her coworkers' tendency to pry displeased her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of displeasing
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Adjective
While certain oils work well together (like lemon and tea tree, sweet orange and cinnamon, peppermint and rosemary), aim to mix only two to three oils when blending to avoid a displeasing or overpowering fragrance.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for displeasing
Adjective
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And since each state tax operates under its own often arcane rules, those costs can come as an unpleasant surprise.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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His rhetoric is unpleasant and extreme enough that he could not get confirmed to a university board in Florida.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Verb
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His 2-3 playoff record came after a long dissatisfying postseason stretch from Chan Gailey (0-2), Bill Parcells (0-2), Phillips (1-2) and before McCarthy (1-3).—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The scheme has been so successful, law enforcement has created a joint FBI-National Security Division task force to disrupt the operations and have dealt a series of harsh prison terms to American accomplices who have willingly aided the North Koreans.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
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To fully embody her OnlyFans persona, an earthside alien named The Hungry Ghost, who offers mild nudity and harsh criticism of her willing subscribers’ genitalia.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Unproductively, in the confines of the smaller-scale Fyda-Mar stage, the discordant sensory barrage director Oanh Nguyen brings to bear landed on at least one theatergoer as an agitated, irritating distraction.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
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Scented and bleached toilet paper can have irritating chemicals, while wiping the wrong way can increase your risk of infection.—
Pamela Assid Woughter,
Verywell Health,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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West Ham showed themselves to be a bad team, less than the sum of their parts and wholly ill-equipped for the challenge in front of them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
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In too many corporations, AI strategy is delegated to a chief AI officer or an innovation lab, organizational constructs designed to signal progress without disturbing the existing power structure.—
Drew Cukor,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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Avoid disturbing the nest or getting too close afterwards.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Displeasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/displeasing. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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