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.
"This is an ugly and unattractive incident," Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC said.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
JPMorgan strategists deem the macro backdrop unattractive, valuations rich and technicals unsupportive ahead of the auction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
It is an approach that is both historically uninformed and normatively unattractive.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
But Sophie, an introverted milliner, never asked for anyone’s attention and is convinced she’s plain and unattractive.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
“It is a very unattractive wisdom. What do you value most?”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
