unsavory

adjective

un·​sa·​vory ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē 

-ˈsāv-rē

1

: insipid, tasteless

2

a

: unpleasant to taste or smell

b

: disagreeable, distasteful

an unsavory assignment

especially : morally offensive

unsavory business practices

Synonyms

• brackish
• distasteful
• unappetizing
• unpalatable
• yucky
• yukky

Examples of unsavory in a Sentence

He is an unsavory character.

an unsavory blend of spices that simply overwhelmed the fish's delicate flavor

Recent Examples on the Web

Most are silent and at least a century old, and almost all of them are the product of artists tapped into a tortured national psyche during the unsavory historical moment of interwar Germany. —Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024

While many countries have inked conventions banning or limiting the use of land mines and cluster weapons, there may be a moment where NATO's European states look hard at whether these unsavory weapons could be crucial for its own defense. —Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

Thompson’s death resurfaced some unsavory details about his industry. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

The Axis will leave a vacuum that other unsavory forces could fill. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

unsavory

adjective

un·​sa·​vory ˌən-ˈsāv(-ə)-rē 

ˈən-

1

: having little or no taste

2

: having a bad taste or smell

3

: morally bad