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
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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
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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
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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
-
The dusty chocolate coating is bitter and unpleasant, and there isn’t enough salt to offset it.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some of it has been very unpleasant for me and many others, especially those who look like me.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The water is disgusting-looking.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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These words then take on guilt by association because of the things we have been socialized to find unpleasant, uncomfortable, or disgusting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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As their mutual competitiveness grows shockingly ugly, Niall learns to turn Ruben’s Samsonian strength and fury against him, knocking down the pillars of Ruben’s own life.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Rudy Gobert followed his inspired Game 2 effort against Nikola Jokic by stifling the three-time MVP again on an ugly 7-for-26 shooting night, and the Timberwolves established a postseason franchise record by allowing the Nuggets just 11 points in the tone-setting first quarter.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
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There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The idea is to use places, such as Antarctica and space, as real-world testbeds where technologies can be proven under genuinely harsh conditions, like extreme cold, isolation, limited logistics, and high system reliability requirements.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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And scientists that have been working on the data have been able to pinpoint that maybe that was the cause of a very harsh winter over Europe that happened in 2010.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distasteful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distasteful. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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