unsavory
adjective
un·sa·vory
ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē 
-ˈsāv-rē
2
a
: unpleasant to taste or smell
b
: disagreeable, distasteful
an unsavory assignment
especially
: morally offensive
unsavory business practices
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
Universities elsewhere have removed the names of unsavory historical donors from buildings.
—
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Lithgow only appeared as Shrek's nemesis in the first film of the franchise (his character meets his unsavory end at the mouth of a dragon), but his career continued to flourish post-Farquaad.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
That happiness was quickly tempered as OA and the team discovered that Gemma, who was raised on the Upper East Side in a world of penthouses and private schools, had some unsavory friends.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Feb. 2025
One unsavory reality about this journey is there's no such thing as partial credit.
—Ray Zhou, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
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Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Lithgow only appeared as Shrek's nemesis in the first film of the franchise (his character meets his unsavory end at the mouth of a dragon), but his career continued to flourish post-Farquaad.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
That happiness was quickly tempered as OA and the team discovered that Gemma, who was raised on the Upper East Side in a world of penthouses and private schools, had some unsavory friends.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Feb. 2025
One unsavory reality about this journey is there's no such thing as partial credit.
—Ray Zhou, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsavory
Cite this Entry
“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsavory. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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