1
2
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable unsavory doings that ruined the couple's good name in the community

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of unsavory The unsavory arrangement came to light Sunday, Jan. 12, when a man, identified as 67-year-old Cleo Spence, called the Albany Police Department to have the mom and her children evicted from his home on East Broad Avenue, officials said. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025 Teen Slack: Slack has actually added unsavory content to its platform in an effort to appeal to teens. Jiji Lee, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2025 Watson settled the unsavory claims and served a suspension from the league over it. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025 Unfortunately, beating the odds might lead to unsavory methods that bring conflict to relationships. Lisa Stardust, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unsavory 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsavory
Adjective
  • One former employee of UnitedHealthcare described seeing glib, distasteful messages about Mr. Thompson’s death even in a Facebook group composed largely of people who work in the industry.
    Reed Abelson, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Fans were quick to call out Kardashian, 44, and point out the distasteful timing of these promotions, especially as people's homes were being destroyed by the flames.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The trial culminated in the dramatic display of her thong before the jury, paired with descriptions of her as manipulative and immoral.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Growing shares in each party describe those in the other party as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent than other Americans.
    NBC News, NBC News, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Based on the negative reaction from the crowd, the CBS late night host acknowledged that unpleasant feelings abound.
    Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2025
  • While wildly unpleasant, most people affected with norovirus see their symptoms resolve within a few days, the Mayo Clinic says.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Compelling subject matter only goes so far when presented in such a bland, familiar manner.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The team initially struggled, and so did Saleh’s defense, which in 2018 was criticized for being too bland and at times too discombobulated.
    Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Few projects sound quite as unappetizing as cleaning out the attic.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2025
  • But in the end, Swept Away was blown away by something else: Middling ticket sales, a story that may have been unappetizing to some, a song catalog unfamiliar to the tourists who make up a large chunk of Broadway’s audience, and perhaps a bit of bad timing in terms of the national mood.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The aim was to see how institutions — both public and private — would react to a president giving unlawful or unethical orders.
    Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
  • There is nothing sudden or unexpected about unlawful immigration at the southern border.
    Elizabeth Goitein, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.
    Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, 1 Oct. 2019
  • His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.
    SI.com, SI.com, 1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
  • Mother Nature removes this thin coating of cement/lime paste over time, exposing the sand color to your eyes.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2025
  • What to order: Your mileage my vary depending on your preferences, but why not start with the New York Original thin crust pizza for $16.95?
    Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near unsavory

Cite this Entry

“Unsavory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsavory. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unsavory

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!