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

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

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 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

Senga, once billed as the staff ace, has been downright dismal this season as a starter.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of dismal

Adjective

Abrams is a player who is both imperfect and essential to a team that has far exceeded its gloomy preseason projections.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Saturday morning, Marine 1 had the entire shoreline to itself in the gloomy, gray aftermath of recent weather.

— Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of gloomy

Browse Nearby Words

unprompted

unpropitious

unprosperous

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Style

“Unpropitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpropitious. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unpropitious

adjective

Example Sentences

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