UNSEEMLY Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'unseemly' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of unseemly are improper , indecorous , indelicate , and unbecoming . While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste. // remarried with unseemly haste

Q: When could 'improper' be used to replace 'unseemly'?

In some situations, the words improper and unseemly are roughly equivalent. However, improper applies to a broader range of transgressions of rules not only of social behavior but of ethical practice or logical procedure or prescribed method. // improper use of campaign contributions

Q: When can 'indecorous' be used instead of 'unseemly'?

While in some cases nearly identical to unseemly , indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners. // indecorous behavior

Q: When would 'indelicate' be a good substitute for 'unseemly'?

The synonyms indelicate and unseemly are sometimes interchangeable, but indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling. // indelicate expressions for bodily functions

Q: When is it sensible to use 'unbecoming' instead of 'unseemly'?

While the synonyms unbecoming and unseemly are close in meaning, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status. // conduct unbecoming to an officer

unseemly 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈsēm-lē

Definition of unseemly

as in inappropriate

not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation an unseemly interest in their host's income and expenses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unseemly

2 of 2

adverb

as in inappropriately

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How does the adjective unseemly differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of unseemly are improper, indecorous, indelicate, and unbecoming. While all these words mean "not conforming to what is accepted as right, fitting, or in good taste," unseemly adds a suggestion of special inappropriateness to a situation or an offensiveness to good taste.

remarried with unseemly haste

When could improper be used to replace unseemly?

In some situations, the words improper and unseemly are roughly equivalent. However, improper applies to a broader range of transgressions of rules not only of social behavior but of ethical practice or logical procedure or prescribed method.

improper use of campaign contributions

When can indecorous be used instead of unseemly?

While in some cases nearly identical to unseemly, indecorous suggests a violation of accepted standards of good manners.

indecorous behavior

When would indelicate be a good substitute for unseemly?

The synonyms indelicate and unseemly are sometimes interchangeable, but indelicate implies a lack of modesty or of tact or of refined perception of feeling.

indelicate expressions for bodily functions

When is it sensible to use unbecoming instead of unseemly?

While the synonyms unbecoming and unseemly are close in meaning, unbecoming suggests behavior or language that does not suit one's character or status.

conduct unbecoming to an officer

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 unseemly

Adjective

Forget about the ill-behaved, performative fans hoping to go viral on TikTok for unseemly behavior. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 14 June 2026 The 15-time European Cup winners have been embarrassed in recent weeks by series of unseemly events. — ABC News, 16 May 2026

Adverb

Some riffed on Martin's comment that perhaps something unseemly happened. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 July 2025 Perhaps the National Women’s Soccer League will find the behind-the-scenes play for White Stadium unseemly and give Boston Unity’s expansion bid the cold shoulder. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unseemly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unseemly

Adjective

From the seasonally inappropriate hot springs of Beitou to the glossy, souvenir-flogging halls of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, the plot of this coming-of-age story doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable realities of traveling abroad.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Within minutes, the profile received follow requests, inappropriate direct messages and lewd video calls from adult men.

— Titania Jordan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adverb

The complaint says church officials knew Marroquin was communicating inappropriately with underage girls.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Officials from both governments have traded barbs in recent weeks over whether China has been inappropriately stealing AI trade secrets.

— Kevin Collier, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of inappropriately

Adjective

Guy acknowledges, though, that this could lead to the level of chaos depicted in a memorable 2009 episode of The Office, where staff show up in an array of unsuitable outfits.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
That could allow geothermal projects to operate in locations that have traditionally been considered unsuitable for geothermal development.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adverb

But advocates of more protective parenting argue free-range parenting increases the risk children encounter danger and, in some cases, can result in neglect when children are improperly supervised.

— Rachel Hale, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
OpenAI accused DeepSeek of using data improperly, Google claimed attackers tried to clone Gemini, and Anthropic suggested that Alibaba should be criminally punished for allegedly launching the largest-ever cloning attack on Claude.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of improperly

Adjective

Miller has also been charged for the improper display or possession of the plates of another vehicle in Kansas City’s Municipal Court.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Troopers are also on the lookout for unsafe lane changes, tailgating and improper passing.

— Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of improper

Adverb

Fightland feels incongruously sanitized throughout, without actually being appropriate (or engaging) for all ages.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Along beaches that had been stripped of their vegetation, icebergs sat incongruously high on rocks.

— Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026

Definition of incongruously

Adverb

Starting next year, Illinois will have new safeguards in place to prevent parents from being wrongly accused of child abuse or neglect when their children visit a doctor or hospital emergency room for unexplained injuries or ailments.

— Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
But the hostility toward Jews was evident during the Dreyfus affair, which saw Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army, wrongly convicted of treason in 1894.

— Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of wrongly

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unseemliness

unseemly

unseen

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“Unseemly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unseemly. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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