1
as in unpalatable
disagreeable or disgusting to the sense of taste
cod-liver oil is so distasteful that it's worse than anything it cures
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
concerned mothers who find some recent musical trends distasteful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
the distasteful nature of his job as a bill collector
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distasteful
While the in-arena plan does not include dancers, the promo has polarized the industry, with some arguing that the celebration is distasteful.
—
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The British, having escaped German occupation, could still indulge in military pomp; elsewhere in Western Europe, martial pride and overt patriotism were distasteful reminders of a dark past.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distasteful
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The British, having escaped German occupation, could still indulge in military pomp; elsewhere in Western Europe, martial pride and overt patriotism were distasteful reminders of a dark past.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distasteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distasteful
Adjective
-
Allowing Iran to continue to control the crucial waterway is likely to be highly unpalatable to Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Dry fields are also vulnerable to noxious weeds like leafy spurge and toadflax, which are toxic to cattle and unpalatable to native ungulates like deer and pronghorn antelope.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To avoid unpleasant digestive side effects, start by adding 1 tablespoon (or less) to your recipes.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The administration has asked for an astonishing $200 billion to fund a war that the president also sporadically claims is over, giving legislators an unappetizing choice between funding a quagmire or else walking away and leaving a mess behind.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Reaching for your leftover guacamole and discovering it’s turned an unappetizing shade of brown after a day in the fridge.—
Olivia Tarantino,
Martha Stewart,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
While not the pastor of the United States, Trump surely represents the face of the United States on a daily basis, and that face is an ugly one.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the case of this April 1, Atlanta just experienced a horrible and tragic Wednesday in traffic.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Your cabdriver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The lawyers also argue that Combs' sentence was too harsh, saying the trial judge wrongly based it in part on a conclusion that the crimes involved fraud and coercion and that Combs was a leader or organizer of criminal activity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Focused on a 2021 expedition in which Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-and-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara attempt to become the first to summit K2 in winter, when conditions are at their harshest.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distasteful. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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