unprepossessing

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 unprepossessing The artist himself, however, was rather more unprepossessing. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2023 The bishop has an amiable, unprepossessing manner, with a slight stoop and a twinkly smile. Nathaniel Rich Stacy Kranitz, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2022 As reported by Brandon in an epilogue to her book, Duchamp married an unprepossessing rich woman in 1927, in Paris, with Picabia as best man. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2022 This crisis is apparent in casting the unprepossessing Krieps, who already creeped out Paul Thomas Anderson’s repellent Phantom Thread. Armond White, National Review, 13 Oct. 2021 Nothing can be more unprepossessing than a sea-anemone when contracted. Jessy Randall, Scientific American, 19 July 2021 How can this little sheet, of such an unprepossessing subject, have such authority? Jason Farago, New York Times, 27 June 2021 Starring in these books was an unprepossessing intelligence officer named George Smiley. Tom Nolan, WSJ, 24 Dec. 2020 An unprepossessing wood-frame rowhouse from the 1850s, it is now covered in aluminum siding; a third floor has been added since Whitman lived here with his parents and four of his brothers. Jane Margolies, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unprepossessing
Adjective
  • As shown, the new stadium is simple, unimposing and not unattractive.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
  • Encased in the character’s unimposing frame, there’s a selfless bravery that prompts him to stand up for others — especially lovely Naim.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This gel moisturizer, however, absorbs fast, wears beautifully under makeup or sunscreen, and leaves skin soft without any unappealing shine.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 25 June 2025
  • Consumers also face fragmented points systems that restrict redemption to a single brand, or limited, unappealing catalogs.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • But many of the Blues’ outings have been unpleasant because of high temperatures and storms, and six games across the tournament have been paused for poor weather conditions, angering manager Enzo Maresca.
    Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 July 2025
  • My other wildlife standoff involved a much cuter animal, but potentially far more unpleasant.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • Think eggs to order but fiction, served on the same plate as the most unappetizing breakfast imaginable.
    Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Even if Cameron is fortunate enough to avert further unrest, the menu for the remainder of his term remains an unappetizing mix of austerity and vague appeals for moral renewal.
    Jonathan Hopkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2011

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Cite this Entry

“Unprepossessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unprepossessing. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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