unattractive
Britishadjective
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not appealing to the senses or mind through beauty, form, character, etc
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not arousing interest
an unattractive proposition
Explanation
Unattractive means "unappealing" or "ugly." The cake you baked for you best friend's birthday may be lopsided and unattractive, but she won't care if it tastes delicious. It's not very nice to describe people as unattractive — you're basically saying they're not pretty or handsome. But inanimate objects can also be unattractive if they're not pleasant to look at, like the unattractive cactus on your coffee table. And other things are unattractive because they offer no benefits or advantages: "I wanted that job until he offered me an unattractive salary."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The "Kakuhido", or Revolutionary Alliance of Men that Women find Unattractive, want an end to public displays of love that "hurt their feelings".
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2017
Unattractive in the sense of: not much to look at and a really unpleasant personality.
From New York Times • Apr. 17, 2016
It features cocky, young Donald O'Connor, 15-year-old Gloria Jean, prancing Peggy Ryan and a number of songs of which one is appropriately called Rude, Crude and Unattractive.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unattractive as this idea will be to Congress, it will realize that it has no alternative.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unattractive and childless, she neither loved nor was loved by her husband; and, indeed, suspicion was cast upon her of having brought about his death.
From Roman Women by Brittain, Alfred
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
