unpropitious

adjective

Definition of unpropitiousnext
as in unfavorable

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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 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
  1. unfavorable
  2. unpromising
  3. discouraging
  4. disheartening
  5. hopeless
  6. cheerless
  7. dismal
  8. gloomy
Adjective
  • As the system moves closer to the Lesser Antilles, upper-level winds are likely to be unfavorable for additional development, according to the center's latest update.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
  • During two meetings in June, Alston was evaluated and received unfavorable feedback, the meeting minutes state.
    — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfavorable
Adjective
  • 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
  • ADCs were once widely viewed as an unpromising technology, but Daiichi Sankyo’s success has revived interest and intensified competition across the industry.
    — PwC Consulting LLC Contributor, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026
Definition of unpromising
Adjective
  • Despite the discouraging landscape, recruiters and career experts say there are still ways for recent graduates to stand out.
    — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
  • Abigail Simon-Hart is all too familiar with these discouraging trends.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • 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
  • Selina Wang, the lead author of the study, says the findings are particularly disheartening, as avocado oil products are often much more expensive than those made with olive or other vegetable oils.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 July 2026
Definition of disheartening
Adjective
  • The hopeless romantic in me was shoved out of the way by the football fan.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The wartime mood among European and American intellectuals was hopeless, or, rather, in her estimation, helpless.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 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
  • The Voyagers have been skirting this dismal fate for years now, with NASA engineers carefully monitoring each spacecraft’s power supplies and plotting out when to turn off individual instruments to keep the missions going as long as possible.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • So why did the stock market rally on Friday following the shockingly dismal jobs report?
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismal
Adjective
  • Set in the gloomy colder-weather months in San Francisco, Josephine focuses on a young girl (Mason Reeves) who witnesses a brutal rape while out on a jog with her dad, Damien (Channing Tatum), in Golden Gate Park.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • With its fourth chapter, Reacher goes full neo-noir, embracing the genre’s fatalistic, gloomy approach while staying true to its action roots.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of gloomy

Browse Nearby Words

unprompted
unpropitious
unprosperous
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Cite this Entry

“Unpropitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpropitious. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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