unmusical

[ uhn-myoo-zi-kuhl ]

adjective

1. not musical; deficient in melody, harmony, rhythm, or tone.
2. acoustically and aesthetically harsh on the ear; strident; dissonant; cacophonous.
3. not fond of or skilled in music.

unmusical

/ ʌnˈmjuːzɪkəl /

adjective

1. not musical or harmonious
2. not talented in or appreciative of music

Derived Forms

• unˈmusically, adverb
• unˈmusicalness, noun

Other Words From

• un·musi·cal·ly adverb
• un·musi·cal·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unmusical¹

First recorded in 1600–10; un- ¹ + musical

Example Sentences

Her hard but not unmusical laugh had given place to a grating cackle, and a leer of affected gaiety had replaced the merry eye.

From Project Gutenberg

If a pair of these birds have a nest they betray the fact to the world by the unmusical clamour they make from sunrise to sunset.

From Project Gutenberg

Harsh and unmusical sounds, produced by the voice, indicate that the throat is in a condition of injurious tension.

From Project Gutenberg

"Five finger drills" and studies in broken scales of the types generally used are also utterly unmusical.

From Project Gutenberg

The old badger invariably uttered a low but not unmusical greeting when she returned to her family at dawn.

From Project Gutenberg