distasteful

[ dis-teyst-fuhl ]

adjective

1. unpleasant, offensive, or causing dislike:

   a distasteful chore.

   Synonyms: repulsive, repugnant, disagreeable

2. unpleasant to the taste:

   a distasteful medicine.

   Synonyms: unsavory, unpalatable

3. showing distaste or dislike.

distasteful

/ dɪsˈteɪstfʊl /

adjective

1. unpleasant or offensive

Derived Forms

• disˈtastefully, adverb
• disˈtastefulness, noun

Other Words From

• dis·tasteful·ly adverb
• dis·tasteful·ness noun
• undis·tasteful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of distasteful¹

First recorded in 1600–10; distaste + -ful

Example Sentences

Even if you had sympathy for her, the superstar-victim routine could be distasteful.

From Time

The Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 ruling, essentially upheld the ability of Congress to change the terms of bonds, even though it found the action distasteful and unconstitutional.

From Washington Post

Which is all to say that, García Martínez’s writing, even if distasteful to some, has not obviously impacted his career until now.

From Vox

However, Miss Manners encourages you not to succumb to the distasteful idea that one should dress modestly so as not to give others “the wrong idea.”

From Washington Post

There is the unspoken but clear message that he finds that part of the business — basically the entire business — distasteful.

From Digiday

Distasteful those ads might be, but restrictions on political speech should be exercised with great deliberation and caution.

From The Daily Beast

Activist Larry Kramer claims Barbra finds gay sex ‘distasteful.’

From The Daily Beast

But to use the “hook” of the Newtown massacre to drive marketing is somewhere between distasteful and indecent.

From The Daily Beast

And when Carter was doing all this pot smoking and stuff in the White House, I found it terribly distasteful.

From The Daily Beast

Honesty is difficult, perhaps distasteful, in talking of man just now dead.

From The Daily Beast

If the journey is now distasteful to her, she has but her own rashness to blame in having sought it herself.

From Project Gutenberg

For that reason a marriage distasteful to both had already been arranged between him and the Roshinara Begum.

From Project Gutenberg

To address Fleurette, impalpable creation of fairyland, as “old girl” was particularly distasteful.

From Project Gutenberg

The diversions which had been the serious employment of his youth became distasteful to him.

From Project Gutenberg

But if I had had the slightest idea that the subject was distasteful to you I would not have dreamed of mentioning it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abhorrent
• hateful
• objectionable
• obnoxious
• painful
• repugnant
• tasteless
• unappetizing
• unpalatable
• unsavory