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unenviable

adjective

Definition of unenviablenext
as in undesirable

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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 unenviable Last season, Carrick had the unenviable task of divvying up minutes across a bare-bones schedule. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Young found himself in the unenviable position of sitting around and just waiting to see if his score was good enough. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026 The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Tom Hardy is marvelous as the menacing terrorist Bane and pulls off the unenviable task of having to follow Heath Ledger’s Joker. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Two of the band’s shows in Fort Worth, scheduled for June 30 and July 2, are now occurring on July 11 and July 13, respectively, as Lee has contracted the unenviable combination of laryngitis and bronchitis. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unenviable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unenviable
  1. undesirable
  2. abominable
  3. horrid
  4. ghastly
  5. hellish
Adjective
  • Anthropic has conducted studies on its models’ undesirable behaviors, such as disempowerment and sycophancy.
    — Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Law enforcements agencies have been ordered to step up security measures to prevent undesirable situations, city police Chief Anek Srathongyoo said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of undesirable
Adjective
  • No sooner had the Chiefs’ abominable 2025 season (6-11) come to an end, team president Mark Donovan said last month, than the organization pivoted to 2026.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That led to cycles of reform and renovation, as well as backlash, chiefly from cultural conservatives, who saw the adoption of western European habits and attitudes as abominable and even heretical.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of abominable
Adjective
  • As excavations for the foundation got underway, bones and decomposing bodies were found, releasing a horrid odor and spreading yellow fever across the island.
    — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Cantu’s wife, who heard her husband, then exits the home and comes to the horrid realization that her husband is dead or dying on the front yard.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrid
Adjective
  • Does the movie go too easy on the man who eventually gave us Fox News and decades of ghastly politics?
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Wilson was a ghastly 6 of 21 from the free-throw line and led all summer leaguers in turnovers despite only playing 110 minutes.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of ghastly
Adjective
  • As the film smash cuts to black on a frustratingly open-ended, very end-of-episode-one-style cliffhanger, the only conclusion is that in such a hellish scenario, no decision can ever be definitively judged to be the right one.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a distinct vibe shift on September 10, which could send you on an unexpected short trip to connect one-on-one with someone, and in the most grumblingly mundane sense, could make for a day of hellish commutes.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hellish

Browse Nearby Words

unenthusiastic
unenviable
unenvious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unenviable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unenviable. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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