undesirable

[ uhn-di-zahyuhr-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not desirable or attractive; objectionable:

   undesirable qualities.

noun

1. a person or thing considered undesirable:

   a collection of malcontents and undesirables.

undesirable

/ ˌʌndɪˈzaɪərəbəl /

adjective

1. not desirable or pleasant; objectionable

noun

1. a person or thing that is considered undesirable

Derived Forms

• ˌundeˌsiraˈbility, noun
• ˌundeˈsirably, adverb

Other Words From

• unde·sira·bili·ty unde·sira·ble·ness noun
• unde·sira·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of undesirable¹

First recorded in 1660–70; un- ¹ + desirable

Example Sentences

Mexican immigrant mothers and their American-born children — seeking basic healthcare at Los Angeles County General Hospital, for instance — were scapegoated as undesirable and deported directly from the hospital.

From Los Angeles Times

Under the conservative administration of former President Park Geun-hye, the daughter of another military dictator, Han was placed on a blacklist in 2014, barring her from receiving government support, along with other creatives deemed to be ideologically undesirable.

From Los Angeles Times

Depending on where the water travels, it may pick up different undesirable contaminants.

From Los Angeles Times

The state agency is responsible for reviewing annual reports from local agencies and determining whether they are taking adequate steps to avoid undesirable results, such as “significant and unreasonable” lowering of groundwater levels, degraded water quality, land subsidence, seawater intrusion or effects on surface water and ecosystems.

From Los Angeles Times

Political realities these days, being an inexhaustible source of feculence, ensure that at least one hand is filled at all times with an undesirable solid waste disposal project – and usually it is courtesy of Donald J. Trump.

From Salon

Related Words

• abominable
• inadmissible
• loathsome
• objectionable
• troublesome
• unsatisfactory
• unsavory
• unwanted
• unwelcome