Unsavory: meaning, definitions and examples

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unsavory

 

[ ʌnˈseɪv(ə)ri ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

character

Unpleasant, morally offensive, or disagreeable, especially in taste or smell.

Synonyms

disagreeable, distasteful, offensive

Examples of usage

  • The restaurant had an unsavory reputation for serving expired food.
  • She found his unsavory jokes to be inappropriate and offensive.
Context #2 | Adjective

character

Not morally or socially acceptable; disreputable.

Synonyms

disreputable, shady, unethical

Examples of usage

  • He was involved in unsavory business dealings that eventually led to his downfall.
  • The newspaper exposed the unsavory practices of the corrupt politician.

Translations

Translations of the word "unsavory" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desagradável

🇮🇳 अप्रिय

🇩🇪 unangenehm

🇮🇩 tidak sedap

🇺🇦 неприємний

🇵🇱 nieprzyjemny

🇯🇵 不快

🇫🇷 désagréable

🇪🇸 desagradable

🇹🇷 hoş olmayan

🇰🇷 불쾌한

🇸🇦 غير مستساغ

🇨🇿 nepříjemný

🇸🇰 nepríjemný

🇨🇳 令人不快

🇸🇮 neprijeten

🇮🇸 óþægilegur

🇰🇿 жағымсыз

🇬🇪 არასასიამოვნო

🇦🇿 xoşagəlməz

🇲🇽 desagradable

Word origin

The word 'unsavory' originated from the combination of 'un-' (meaning 'not') and 'savory' (meaning 'pleasant in taste or smell'). Initially, it was used in the literal sense to describe food that was unpleasant to taste or smell. Over time, the term evolved to also encompass moral and social aspects, referring to things or people that are morally offensive, disagreeable, or disreputable.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #26,222, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.