unsavory

[ uhn-sey-vuh-ree ]

adjective

1. not savory; tasteless or insipid:

   an unsavory meal.

   Synonyms: unappetizing, flat

2. unpleasant in taste or smell; distasteful.
3. unappealing or disagreeable, as a pursuit:

   Poor teachers can make education unsavory.

4. socially or morally objectionable or offensive:

   an unsavory past; an unsavory person.

Other Words From

• un·savor·i·ly adverb
• un·savor·i·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unsavory¹

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; un- ¹, savory ¹

Example Sentences

They can increase the unsavory bacterial species in your gut and lead to inflammation, making them one of the least healthy Halloween choices.

From Salon

How can they back someone with such unsavory character?

From Los Angeles Times

Biden, who often felt confident he could charm and cajole difficult leaders into concessions, might have taken them on despite their unsavory characteristics.

From Los Angeles Times

Parts of Solomon’s story, which brings in some unsavory characters, do feel constructed as a deliberate mirror of Hansu’s; perhaps not coincidentally they are played by the show’s best-looking actors.

From Los Angeles Times

Many space industry leaders, such as Mars Society President Robert Zubrin, argue that although European-style colonialism may have had unsavory consequences on Earth, it is the only way to proceed in outer space.

From Salon

Related Words

• distasteful
• nasty
• objectionable
• obnoxious
• shady
• unappetizing
• unpalatable
• unpleasant