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
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Still other unsavory details have emerged.
—
Anna Russell, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
The Assistant is pretty much a straight shooter and doesn’t seem haywire or unsavory.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Such positive associations make milk a powerful metaphor for what America could be—if certain unsavory elements of modernity could be undone or erased.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
The Bone Temple begins with Spike’s initiation into this unsavory group, and that’s where the movie’s problems begin, too.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Anna Russell, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
The Assistant is pretty much a straight shooter and doesn’t seem haywire or unsavory.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Such positive associations make milk a powerful metaphor for what America could be—if certain unsavory elements of modernity could be undone or erased.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
The Bone Temple begins with Spike’s initiation into this unsavory group, and that’s where the movie’s problems begin, too.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
-
When late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel made a distasteful comment on ABC that seemed to blame the right for Kirk’s killing, Disney, the network’s parent company, gave in to pressure to take Kimmel off the air.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
-
China would expect something in return, of course, including concessions that some in Europe may consider distasteful, such as a pledge by NATO to no longer formally cooperate with East Asian partners.—
Matthias Matthijs,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Cooperation feels not only impossible, but immoral.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This also underlines how the admirably, anti-tank Heat are being asked to save civilization, protect The Republic, maintain a sense of morality in an immoral world and protect our children’s tomorrow from an accelerated descent into nihilism.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When Luna conjoins intense Pluto, our feelings about such shifts might burst out in unpleasant ways!—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Though a person infected with the virus may experience unpleasant symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nutritionists no longer recommend giving kids bland food, but the idea that children should eat different foods than adults nevertheless stuck.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
And when dipped in our unique combination of cocktail sauce blended with barbecue sauce, dinner will be anything but bland.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Flowers are pasted all over it, seemingly at random, and strings of them fall off the hem in an unappetizing way.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
3 Jan. 2026
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How to Get More Walnuts Into Your Diet If eating a handful of raw walnuts is unappetizing, there are countless ways to add walnuts to your diet—from topping salads and oatmeal, blending them in a smoothie, or roasting them for a healthy snack.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The British government’s designation of Palestine Action as a terror group has been deemed unlawful by London’s High Court.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Lawsuits hamper National Guard deployments Every deployment except the one in New Orleans has faced significant legal challenges, with multiple judges ruling the mobilizations unlawful.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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To remove the wax, wipe out softened wax with paper towels, add cotton balls to absorb the liquid wax, or let the wax harden and remove it by popping it out with a thin plastic spatula.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
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The procedure uses a thin, flexible catheter introduced through a small incision in the femoral artery near the groin.—
MemorialCare,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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