displeasing 1 of 2

adjective

as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses the new hotel is a displeasing mix of architectural styles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

displeasing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of displease
as in dissatisfying
to make discontented her coworkers' tendency to pry displeased her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of displeasing
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
Verb
But many Spotify users voiced displeasure at the change-up, with some complaining that the disco ball looked pixelated on a small phone screen and, generally, was visually displeasing. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for displeasing
  1. unpleasant
  2. dissatisfying
  3. unpleasing
  4. annoying
  5. harsh
  6. irritating
  7. bad
  8. disturbing
Adjective
  • Cleanup Challenges Cleaning up after your home has been inundated with smoke from wildfires is unpleasant, difficult and potentially unhealthy.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Now over time in retirement, daily life has become unpleasant.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Verb
  • 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
Definition of dissatisfying
Adjective
  • The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Definition of unpleasing
Verb
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole.
    — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe, then, Bohm is a lesson for even the harshest skeptics.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • Be sure to use a fragrance-free, gentle detergent to avoid irritating sensitive skin with any residue.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2026
  • There’s something uniquely irritating about being forced to listen to whatever a stranger has decided to watch on their phone.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • Neighbors said the rotten-egg smell has gotten worse over the last couple of weeks, even trailing to apartments across the street.
    — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For Panama, the result is a wet season that’s already been drier than usual and is likely to get worse.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bad
Verb
  • Tian took the photo during his biodiversity research on the seaway, using environmental DNA sampling and drone surveys to monitor the ecosystem’s health, without disturbing any of the resident wildlife.
    — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
  • All three will face a slew of charges, including injuring or removing a tomb or monument, disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb and grand theft, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
    — Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing

Browse Nearby Words

displeases
displeasing
displeasure
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Displeasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/displeasing. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on displeasing

Nglish: Translation of displeasing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All