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
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
But the $250 million Kennedy Center expansion, confined to a small and uncongenial urban footprint, was a significantly more challenging project.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2019
North Korea is a problem uncongenial to such messiness—the administration is leaving an awful lot of room for misunderstanding on a problem that admits little room for such mistakes.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2017
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
But the $250 million Kennedy Center expansion, confined to a small and uncongenial urban footprint, was a significantly more challenging project.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2019
North Korea is a problem uncongenial to such messiness—the administration is leaving an awful lot of room for misunderstanding on a problem that admits little room for such mistakes.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncongenial
Adjective
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Doing so consumes water, requires the use of often eco-unfriendly cleansers, and adds an unpleasant task to janitors' daily duties.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2025
-
But that’s another unpleasant truth that is best left unspoken.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
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So, designing the model's apparent personality to be positive and supportive makes sense—people are less likely to use an AI that comes off as harsh or dismissive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Wash your hair gently, moisturize regularly with scalp-friendly products, and avoid scratching or harsh brushing.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Monday started inauspiciously when Davion Mitchell threw a bad pass to Kel’el Ware; Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen intercepted and dunked in transition.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncongenial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncongenial. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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