unsavory en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ʌnˈseɪv.əɹ.i/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English savory English unsavory From un- + savory.
Meanings
- (US) Not savory; without flavor.
-
(US) Of bad taste; distasteful.
The little Pieces of Beef vvere like Plums in our Hodg-podg. Indeed 'tvvas not fit to be eaten any other vvay; for tho' it did not ſtink, yet it vvas very unſavory and black, vvithout the leaſt ſign of Fat in it: […]
1699, William Dampier, chapter I, in Voyages and Descriptions. Vol. II. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, part II (Mr. Dampier’s Voyages to the Bay of Campeachy), page 38:
- (US) Making an activity undesirable.
-
(US) Disreputable, not respectable, of questionable moral character.
The case against Khela rested primarily on the testimony of two unsavoury witnesses, [who] had lengthy criminal records and [...] were members of a prison-based gang.
2009 January 22, Morris Fish, “R. v. Khela, 2009 SCC 4”, in CanLII, retrieved 18 Mar 2025:[G]ood ſalt cannot relyſh in ſo vnſauory a mouth, […]
1580, Iohn Lyly [i.e., John Lyly], “Euphues to Him that was His Philautus”, in Euphues and His England. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 81, verso:His unsavory reputation as a mobster came back to haunt him when he ran for mayor of New York.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| unsavoury | UK, alternative | lexicographic | |
| most unsavory | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more unsavory | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (22)
pt desonroso (disreputable) · sv tvivelaktig (disreputable) · de anrüchig (disreputable) · af onsedelik (disreputable) · fr douteux (disreputable) · nl onsmakelijk (disreputable) · af oneerlik (disreputable) · pt odioso (disreputable) · ja 不快 (disreputable) · pt desagradável (disreputable) · af onbetwisbaar (disreputable) · pt sujo (disreputable) · no smakløst (disreputable) · fi epämiellyttävä (disreputable) · ja 嫌 (disreputable) · es desagradable (disreputable) · de unappetitlich (disreputable) · es indeseable (disreputable) · nl twijfelachtig (disreputable) · fi hämärä (disreputable) · pl podejrzany (disreputable) · bg безвкусен (not savory, without flavor)