1
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
an unpleasing combination of flavors in the dish
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
an unpleasing combination of fuchsia and orange
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unpleasing
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
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
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.
—SI.com, 1 Feb. 2018
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
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
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.
—SI.com, 1 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpleasing
Adjective
-
Along the way there are medical emergencies, a drug trip, a private jet to a private Hot Chip concert somewhere mountainous and snowy, some unpleasant business with a dog, heartfelt conversations and existential crises.—
Robert Lloyd,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The spandex-blend material is ultra-stretchy, and there’s no unpleasant digging or pinching courtesy of the zipper- and button-free design.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An ugly first period added to the initial grimness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Their pricey homegrown core — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs — combined to go 13-of-42 from the field and an ugly 1-of-13 from deep.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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When the camera's weren't rolling, McCracken says, Couric gave some harsh advice.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
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The hideous prospect of interviewing for jobs even more pointless than this one appears before me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The combination of a shaky bullpen and even worse infield defense harmed the Twins multiple times during the team’s current four-game losing streak.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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To be unreasonable is to be a bad survivalist.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not so in laissez-faire London, where unregulated insurance markets enabled all kinds of grotesque gambling schemes to thrive.—
Stuart Jeffries,
Air Mail,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Goombas are Gremlin-like and grotesque.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unpleasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpleasing. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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