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

The Axis will leave a vacuum that other unsavory forces could fill. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

PayPal knows that people use Venmo for unsavory endeavors. —Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Now to the next part of the unsavory cocktail, the government corruption issues inherent in having these two men helm this project. —Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

The program explored an even more unsavory topic: Picking up your own poop and packing it out via a WAG bag. —Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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