ungenteel

adjective

un·​gen·​teel ˌən-jen-ˈtēl How to pronounce ungenteel (audio)
: not genteel : lacking in courtesy or refinement : inelegant
The young ladies arrived: their appearance was by no means ungenteel or unfashionable.Jane Austen
ungenteelly adverb
… asks you to "pick up after your pet"—without being ungenteelly specific about what is to be picked up. Theo Dombrowski

Examples of ungenteel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web White outfits became the dress code at Wimbledon in the eighteen-eighties, because it was believed that white best masked ungenteel perspiration. Gerald Marzorati, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ungenteel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ungenteel was in 1633

Dictionary Entries Near ungenteel

Cite this Entry

“Ungenteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ungenteel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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