Word
unsavory
Phoneticsun·sa·vory
/ənˈseɪvɝi/
UK spelling · unsavoury
Definition
adj. describing something that is unpleasant, dishonest, or makes you feel slightly sick. You use this to talk about things that are not nice to look at, smell, or think about.
adj. disagreeable, unpleasant, or morally questionable. Often describes sensory experiences or reputations that are offensive or distasteful.
Examples
“The old kitchen had an unsavory smell.”
“The politician's past was full of unsavory details that his opponents were eager to share with the public.”
“The documentary reveals the unsavory side of the industry, focusing on the exploitation of workers and the environmental damage caused by their operations.”
Examples
simple
“The old kitchen had an unsavory smell.”
contextual
“The politician's past was full of unsavory details that his opponents were eager to share with the public.”
complex
“The documentary reveals the unsavory side of the industry, focusing on the exploitation of workers and the environmental damage caused by their operations.”
Real-World Examples
“The drama was supposed to make us uneasy with watching desperate people endure unsavory ordeals for transformative wealth.” “But the abiding memory was his part in Argentina’s unsavoury approach in the final against Spain, where he received one yellow card for dissent and another for sending Pau Cubarsí flying.” Etymology
From un- + savory.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/unsavory