unpalatable

adjective

ˌən-ˈpa-lə-tə-bəl How to pronounce unpalatable (audio)
Definition of unpalatablenext
1
as in unappetizing
disagreeable or disgusting to the sense of taste pasta and honey is an unpalatable combination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses hesitated before sharing some of the more unpalatable details of his captivity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unpalatable 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 Making a disgusted face at the unpalatable baseball that’s already been played is the only logical thing to do. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026 Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a piece of the action, although an Israeli route may be unpalatable to many countries in the region that blame Israel for helping spark the war. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026 The group is seen by many Iranians as a cult whose eclectic ideology, which mixes Islam and Marxism, is easily as unpalatable as the Islamic Republic’s. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unpalatable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpalatable
  1. unappetizing
  2. unpleasant
  3. distasteful
  4. unpleasing
  5. horrible
  6. harsh
  7. bad
  8. unsavory
Adjective
  • Both chains suffered from serving food that appeared both inauthentic and unappetizing, unable to compete with local offerings.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Try adding lemon, cucumber, or mint to your water to encourage hydration if plain water in the morning feels boring or unappetizing.
    — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 19 June 2026
Definition of unappetizing
Adjective
  • Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • South Florida beaches have been inundated by waves of sargassum in recent weeks — while visually distasteful to some, the seaweed is not usually harmful to humans, and occupies a critical niche in marine ecosystems.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 16 June 2026
  • Even comedian Shane Gillis, who's been in hot water for his own distasteful jokes, wasn't a fan of Hokit's words.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Definition of distasteful
Adjective
  • The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • The toll was horrible, with some families suffering multiple deaths and injuries.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Plus, Palmer is a horrible person — in this case, the victim is much more despicable than the thieves.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Wear rubber gloves because the cleaning ingredients are harsh, and scrub the inside of the oven door.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 July 2026
  • Pioneer Girl was considered too harsh about the realities of frontier life.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Shouldn’t Tamra take that as a sign to repair her relationships with the women rather than alienate the one person who is willing to look past her bad behavior?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • That statistic shows that hotels did worse with the World Cup than without it initially.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Social media has teemed with unsavory videos of Argentinean misbehavior in the stadiums, including fans hurling racial epithets at a Black American influencer and showering Egyptians with beer.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • Moreover, a host of unsavory characters from Britain’s criminal underworld want a piece of the operation.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of unsavory

Browse Nearby Words

unpalatability
unpalatable
unparalleled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unpalatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpalatable. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All