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

This scenario can lead to various unsavory results, including inconsistent performance and inefficiencies in operations. —Chay Lapin, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Americans still considered spying on adversaries unsavory, but their government simply wasn’t doing that much of it. —James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025

As promised, High Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) has closed Jezebel's, circumventing the rebellion's plot to massacre Gilead's most unsavory leaders. —Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 May 2025

The reporters decided to publish Cohen’s name to illustrate the unsavory methods political operatives utilize to badmouth opponents. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unsavory

• proslavery
• antislavery
• bravery
• knavery
• savory
• slavery

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