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
Relevance
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
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 distasteful
Ornamental onions, chives, and spring onions produce a scent and flavor that squirrels find distasteful.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
That’s a very distasteful election-year predicament for many.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
People aged between 18 and 29, who are Gen Z, were the most likely to find extreme wealth distasteful.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Because literature is a distillation of our loves and fears, of supposedly beauty and truth, its relationship with Mammon is at least distasteful and at most tragic, but the story of writing’s association itself is certainly an engaging story.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distasteful
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2026
That’s a very distasteful election-year predicament for many.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
People aged between 18 and 29, who are Gen Z, were the most likely to find extreme wealth distasteful.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Because literature is a distillation of our loves and fears, of supposedly beauty and truth, its relationship with Mammon is at least distasteful and at most tragic, but the story of writing’s association itself is certainly an engaging story.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distasteful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distasteful
Adjective
-
Planing peppermint plants, garlic, and bright florals like daffodils and marigolds are options to keep squirrels away from their bright colors and unpalatable taste and odor.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
This is a fundamentally pleasant book for unpleasant times, the kind of novel in which a car breaks down and that turns out to be exactly what should have happened.—
Jacob Brogan,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
-
The jar’s odor wasn’t totally unpleasant, says Pederson.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
One of the guests makes a disgusting joke involving the boat and lubricant.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Danny DeVito, who plays the hilarious and disgusting Frank Reynolds on Always Sunny, used to be married to a fellow comedy legend, Rhea Perlman.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
All those unappetizing items go in your brown yard waste cart, not the black trash cart or the blue recycle cart.—
Terri Daxon,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
-
Hook explains that for natural rind cheese, the impacts of plastic are just as unappetizing.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Putting to one side any uglier consequences of illness or less fixable emotional wounds, the film follows suit — though there’s only a glancing sense here that death is for life, not just for Christmas.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Monday's matchup was one of the ugliest games of the year for the Eagles, committing five costly turnovers in the 22-19 loss.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The companies try to slow down this process by submerging it in oil, but the resulting flavor is horrible.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
Any justice in the community would praise this murderer’s row of craftspeople working on the production design for the period town setting; makeup, especially Pennywise’s horrible face; sound design, for helping to keep the audio terrors churning along; and the costume work.—
William Earl,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distasteful. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
