unfavorable

adjective

un·​fa·​vor·​able ˌən-ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce unfavorable (audio)
-ˈfā-vər-bəl
1
b
: expressing disapproval : negative
unfavorable reviews
2
: not propitious : disadvantageous
an unfavorable business climate
3
: not pleasing
an unfavorable feature of the plan
unfavorableness noun
unfavorably
ˌən-ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-blē How to pronounce unfavorable (audio)
-ˈfā-vər-bəl
adverb

Examples of unfavorable in a Sentence

She formed an unfavorable impression of him. the company chose to accept the unfavorable settlement rather than spend more money on legal fees
Recent Examples on the Web About 2 in 10 have unfavorable views of Hogan and Trone with slightly fewer saying the same about Alsobrooks. Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Trump has a long history of trying to use the courts to retaliate against unfavorable press. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Polling from Morning Consult released in February found 19 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of both candidates, similar to the 18 percent who felt the same about Trump and Clinton eight years ago. Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 Those opposed to the idea fear the void left by his departure will open the door for gang leaders and unfavorable politicians seeking to step into the power vacuum. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 The international business gross margin was down 130 basis points to 22.1% due to unfavorable product margin rates. Trefis Team, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Going into the speech, the Web site FiveThirtyEight had Biden’s unfavorable ratings at the highest level of his Presidency, with more than fifty-six per cent disapproving of his performance in office. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 According to the FiveThirtyEight aggregation, Trump's favorability sits at 43.6% while his unfavorable rating is 51.9%. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 The November survey showed her polling above 60% with voters, even with a 54% unfavorable rating from county Republicans. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unfavorable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfavorable was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near unfavorable

Cite this Entry

“Unfavorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfavorable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unfavorable

adjective
un·​fa·​vor·​able ˌən-ˈfāv-(ə-)rə-bəl How to pronounce unfavorable (audio)
1
: expressing disapproval
unfavorable comments
2
: likely to make difficult or unpleasant
unfavorable weather for a camping trip
unfavorably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unfavorable

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