- objectionable or distasteful: an unsavoury character
- disagreeable in odour or taste
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•sa•vor•y /ʌnˈseɪvəri/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not savory;
tasteless. - unpleasant in taste or smell.
- unappealing or disagreeable:an unsavory job of searching for drugs.
- socially or morally offensive:an unsavory past.
un•sa•vor•y
(un sā′və rē),USA pronunciation adj.
un•sa′vor•i•ly, adv.
un•sa′vor•i•ness, n.
- not savory;
tasteless or insipid:an unsavory meal. - unpleasant in taste or smell;
distasteful. - unappealing or disagreeable, as a pursuit:Poor teachers can make education unsavory.
- socially or morally objectionable or offensive:an unsavory past; an unsavory person.
- 1175–1225; Middle English; see un-1, savory1
un•sa′vor•i•ness, n.
- 1. . flat, unappetizing.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unsavoury, US unsavory /ʌnˈseɪvərɪ/ adj
'unsavory' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):