unsavory

adjective

un·​sa·​vory ˌən-ˈsā-və-rē How to pronounce unsavory (audio)
-ˈsāv-rē
Synonyms of unsavorynext
1
: insipid, tasteless
2
a
: unpleasant to taste or smell
b
: disagreeable, distasteful
an unsavory assignment
especially : morally offensive
unsavory business practices

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In those days the Everglades were seen as Florida’s ghastly backyard, a region of fearsome reptiles and unsavory characters. — Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025 Dab, buff, polish, and voila! Cell Phones Scratches, germs, bacteria, skin cells...so many unsavory things are being carted around on our cell phones. — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2025 In the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, Pattinson lends the heron an unsavory croak. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025 Guilt by association While some social media companies might seek to capture the fediverse, others might seek to undermine its reputation by highlighting some of its unsavory uses. — Aram Sinnreich, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsavory

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsavory was in the 13th century

Rhymes for unsavory

See All Rhymes for unsavory

Browse Nearby Words

unsavory
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsavory. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

unsavory

adjective
un·​sa·​vory ˌən-ˈsāv(-ə)-rē How to pronounce unsavory (audio)
ˈən-
1
: having little or no taste
2
: having a bad taste or smell
3
: morally bad
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All