distasteful
Americanadjective
-
unpleasant, offensive, or causing dislike.
a distasteful chore.
- Synonyms:
- repulsive, repugnant, disagreeable
-
unpleasant to the taste.
a distasteful medicine.
- Synonyms:
- unsavory, unpalatable
-
showing distaste or dislike.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of distasteful
Explanation
Things that you find disagreeable or unpleasant are distasteful. A distasteful movie might disturb you so much that you leave the theater before it's over. While certain kinds of food might be distasteful to you — overcooked vegetables, for example — you can find non-edible things just as distasteful, despite the taste within the word. This adjective uses the sense of taste that means "preference" or "tendency to like something," along with the prefix dis-, "not" or "the opposite of." You can, for example, find things like greed and cruelty to be just as distasteful as overcooked broccoli.
Vocabulary lists containing distasteful
Power Suffix: -ful
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Bad Beginning
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
This was particularly true of Berlin, a cosmopolitan city full of people who found the Nazis culturally distasteful.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
The frontman took umbrage at Jackson presenting himself as a messianic figure, protecting hundreds of children, calling the display "distasteful and crap".
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
The State Bar hated the news conference, disciplining the duo for what they considered an act of unethical and distasteful advertising.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026
Any evidence to the contrary is dismissed as airy-fairy daydreaming or a distasteful fluke.
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2025
The signs had been there since he could walk, and he perfected the more distasteful aspects of his personality as he lurched into manhood and assumed his responsibilities.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
