1
as in distasteful
disagreeable or disgusting to the sense of taste
an unsavory blend of spices that simply overwhelmed the fish's delicate flavor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
unsavory doings that ruined the couple's good name in the community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
hated the whole unsavory business of firing people
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4
as in bland
lacking in taste or flavor
the unsavory food dished up at the rest area's restaurant should be consumed only by the truly desperate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsavory
Everything that can go wrong does, taking audiences on a bleak and unsavory ride through the petty and fatal byways of modern fame.
—
Alex Ritman, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
In exchange, the administration of President Joe Biden released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, accused of supplying weapons to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other unsavory parties.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
With that in mind, Isaacs' Timothy—who's flown halfway around the world only to find himself on the hook for a scandal back home—and Goggins' Rick, a depressive, unsavory type who's constitutionally incapable of relaxing, both seem like prime candidates.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
Cast iron pans get used for melting lead, catching oil, and other unsavory things.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Alex Ritman, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
In exchange, the administration of President Joe Biden released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, accused of supplying weapons to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other unsavory parties.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
With that in mind, Isaacs' Timothy—who's flown halfway around the world only to find himself on the hook for a scandal back home—and Goggins' Rick, a depressive, unsavory type who's constitutionally incapable of relaxing, both seem like prime candidates.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025
Cast iron pans get used for melting lead, catching oil, and other unsavory things.
—Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
-
The post-1945 European vision assumes that land-grabs and military rivalries are as antiquated and distasteful as a spiked helmet.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
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The distasteful use of AI as a substitute for genuine creativity in pursuit of efficiency or economic gain rightly caused backlash from diehard creatives.—
Solo Ceesay,
Rolling Stone,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And so Rose, immortal on the field, with a bat, was judged immoral off it by the saints who guard baseball’s gate.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
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The campaign materials were unequivocal: Worley believed LGBT influences in society were immoral.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA TODAY,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That leads to the second point: automating boring tasks, or delegating unpleasant things to the AI itself.—
John Werner,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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This grandma insisted my daughter hit her, then made the tour unpleasant Ask a real estate pro: Can HOA force owner to put up fence and swap out plants?—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Content that is bland, disconnected from business priorities, and easily forgotten.—
Rhea Wessel,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Sure, the supporting cast is as bland as a Dodger Dog and the stages as prosaic as Dodger Stadium.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Higher concentrations tend to make the water gloopy and unappetizing.—
The Physics arXiv Blog,
Discover Magazine,
28 Jan. 2025
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Few projects sound quite as unappetizing as cleaning out the attic.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Legal experts say the moves are likely unlawful, workers complain they were sloppily handled, and the whole process runs the risk of doing long-term damage to critical workings of the federal government.—
Emily Peck,
Axios,
12 Mar. 2025
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The aim is to explore ways to build more confidence and more transparency on our nuclear energy program in return for the lifting of unlawful sanctions.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
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The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Mar. 2025
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Chinese smartphone company Honor has released devices that fold up to be nearly as thin as an iPhone.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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