unceremonious

American  

[uhn-ser-uh-moh-nee-uhs] / ˌʌn sɛr əˈmoʊ ni əs /

adjective

1. discourteously abrupt; hasty; rude.

   He made an unceremonious departure in the middle of my speech.

2. without ceremony or formalities; informal.

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unceremonious British  

/ ˌʌnsɛrɪˈməʊnɪəs /

adjective

1. without ceremony; informal, abrupt, rude, or undignified

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Other Word Forms

• unceremoniously adverb
• unceremoniousness noun

Etymology

Origin of unceremonious

First recorded in 1590–1600; un- ¹ + ceremonious

Example Sentences

Jack dispensed with the card entirely and scrounged up only $2 from his room, which he handed to Finn with an unceremonious “here.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

Nancy's laidback arrival - spending just 15 minutes talking with Martin O'Neill before ripping up everything O'Neill had done to stabilise things - was in stark contrast to the unceremonious manner of his exit.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

In the ’90s, Kilmer came close to such unceremonious dismissals.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2025

The trade marked an unceremonious end to Jones’ time with the Rams, who selected him in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2024

His expulsion from Ayemenem had been so sudden and unceremonious, and so very long ago.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy