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
-
When Luna conjoins intense Pluto, our feelings about such shifts might burst out in unpleasant ways!—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Though a person infected with the virus may experience unpleasant symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
-
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
-
Prosecutors say the defendant failed to take into account his girlfriend’s inexperience in mountain climbing as well as the harsh winter conditions.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Bathroom Fixtures There are no harsh or abrasive chemicals involved in steam cleaning bathroom fixtures.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Investigators are buried in leads The influx of tips generated in the case – further fueled by the release this week of footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera – is both good and bad for law enforcement.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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But the lack of bigger tax cuts does not inherently make the grocery tax repeal bad.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncongenial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncongenial. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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