UNPROPITIOUS Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

unpropitious

adjective

Definition of unpropitious

as in unfavorable

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of unpropitious Handing the baton to Harris at this unpropitious time for Democrats is like Napoleon’s handing off his military command to Marshal Ney to conduct the disastrous French retreat from Moscow in 1812, featuring 500,000 French casualties. — Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024 The exhausted refugees are greeted by a functionary of the Relief Committee with the unpropitious nickname Statistics Babu. — Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022 JoyFish sits in a strip mall in an unpropitious space that has seen several restaurants come and go. — Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, 11 July 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpropitious

Adjective

Affirm left Australia in 2023 shortly after unfavorable macroeconomic conditions prompted the company to lay off 19 percent of its workforce.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Polling has consistently shown most voters have an unfavorable view of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

— Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of unfavorable

Adjective

From those unpromising beginnings, Ondaatje found, in his writing, newness and, in language, a certain freedom.

— Amitava Kumar, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
The surprising discovery awaiting us below the thicket of its atmosphere has quashed the notion that worlds far from the Sun are unpromising destinations in the search for life-supporting environments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 May 2026

Definition of unpromising

Adjective

Amid disheartening and disruptive school closures and thousands of position cuts districts have been forced to implement due to million-dollar budget shortfalls, vacancies have continued to climb.

— Andrew Spar, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
This has been especially disheartening because the strategy and RPG elements the series is known for have so far been excellent.

— Jay Peters, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of disheartening

Adjective

Corruption was endemic, and the country’s deeper troubles—its poverty, its social inequities, and the hopeless conditions that drive millions of Nepalis to emigrate for work—endured, laying the kindling for last year’s explosion.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Sometimes, love in a hopeless place is worth the price of admission.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hopeless

Adjective

The storm let up before daybreak, but the morning was gray and cheerless with a cold wind.

— Elwyn "Bud" Myers, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Gomez gestured across the street toward 100 Centre Street—the criminal courthouse, a cheerless Art Deco building the color of cinder blocks.

— Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025

Definition of cheerless

Adjective

Last week, the struggling athleisure brand reported another dismal earnings report, posting a 12% drop in sales in North America and slashing its full-year outlook for the second time in three months.

— Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
With inflation elevated and gas prices surging amid the war with Iran, voters give Trump dismal marks on the economy as Republicans brace for midterm losses.

— Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismal

Adjective

Leaving the gloomy depths of Greg’s childhood unexplored may be for the best.

— T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
Thursday was a cloudy, gloomy day in Dublin, but the rain and overcast skies weren’t enough to deter TCU fans from painting Ireland purple.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of gloomy

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unprompted

unpropitious

unprosperous

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“Unpropitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpropitious. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpropitious

adjective

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