as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
a dank and uncongenial castle that makes one question just how merry old England really was
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Recent Examples of uncongenial
Short of calling an exterminator, experts suggest the following ways to rid a car, truck or SUV of rodents:
One way is to simply make the vehicle uncongenial.
—
Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Bauer attributes the poverty of the third world to cultural values inimical to productivity:
In much of the Third World the political, social, and personal determinants of economic performance are often uncongenial to economic development.
—Wanjiru Njoya, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024
The experiment was a flop, the living arrangements spare, the neighbors uncongenial, and the couple was in debt.
—Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 19 Oct. 2022
Someone listening to an uncongenial podcast can turn it off and listen to something else or nothing at all, in total safety.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 8 Feb. 2022
People who have broken down barriers thrown up by law, social convention and institutional intolerance tend to make uncongenial company.
—Star Tribune, 15 Jan. 2021
The Guston affair is a symptom of a society-wide deterioration of trust in institutions and tolerance for uncongenial expression.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2020
The intellectual energy of the galleries fizzled out in this strangely uncongenial, vertical space that was reminiscent of a shopping mall.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2019
Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Bauer attributes the poverty of the third world to cultural values inimical to productivity:
In much of the Third World the political, social, and personal determinants of economic performance are often uncongenial to economic development.
—Wanjiru Njoya, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024
The experiment was a flop, the living arrangements spare, the neighbors uncongenial, and the couple was in debt.
—Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 19 Oct. 2022
Someone listening to an uncongenial podcast can turn it off and listen to something else or nothing at all, in total safety.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 8 Feb. 2022
People who have broken down barriers thrown up by law, social convention and institutional intolerance tend to make uncongenial company.
—Star Tribune, 15 Jan. 2021
The Guston affair is a symptom of a society-wide deterioration of trust in institutions and tolerance for uncongenial expression.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2020
The intellectual energy of the galleries fizzled out in this strangely uncongenial, vertical space that was reminiscent of a shopping mall.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncongenial
Adjective
-
Trapped allergens can affect the air quality in your bedroom, triggering congestion, scalp itching and irritation, not to mention unpleasant odors.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
3 Mar. 2026
-
So Miss Manners believes that your sister should apologize — not to her rude guest, but to the other guests, for having been subjected to such an unpleasant scene.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
Adjective
-
Engineers have long searched for efficient electric alternatives that can survive the harsh conditions inside industrial systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Critics say the danger faced by agents whose names are made public is overblown, almost always limited to harsh and violent words lobbed from behind a laptop or phone screen.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Knicks were held to less than 100 points for only the seventh time and had their fourth-worst three-point shooting performance of the season, going eight for 34.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The Pacers have the second-worst record in the NBA, 1 ½ games better than Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncongenial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncongenial. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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