unseemliness

noun

Definition of unseemlinessnext
as in unfitness
the quality or state of not being socially proper I should not have to explain the unseemliness of wearing a red miniskirt to a funeral

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unseemliness No, the Heat would never go there, a flat-out, from-the-start commitment to lottery odds no matter the unseemliness of it all. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unseemliness
  1. unfitness
  2. inappropriateness
  3. disrespect
Noun
  • Not just shame but gross unfitness for serving in a role at a state university.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Musk attempted to color Altman as a uniquely unsuitable supervisor of this technology, but this invariably invited further scrutiny into his own abject unfitness for the role.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Definition of unfitness
Noun
  • This is expressed just as her 14-year-old appears to see that her earlier prediction about Carmella’s likelihood of inappropriateness had come true.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of inappropriateness
Noun
  • The only thing that’s clear is their disrespect for Maryland voters and the democratic process.
    — Larry Hogan, Baltimore Sun, 29 Oct. 2026
  • These are not, and no disrespect, cartoon characters or comic books.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrespect

Browse Nearby Words

unseeable
unseemliness
unseemly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unseemliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unseemliness. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All