unappetizing
Britishadjective
-
(of food) not pleasing or stimulating to the appetite
-
(of a prospect, person, etc) not appealing or attractive
unappetizing to investors
Explanation
Anything unappetizing either looks like it would taste terrible or is otherwise unattractive. If the school cafeteria offers only unappetizing mystery meat and limp salad, you'll probably decide to bring a sandwich for lunch. Your personal list of unappetizing things might include black licorice, brussels sprouts, and egg salad. You can also use this adjective for other things that leave you feeling a little queasy, like a relative's unappetizing political convictions or an unappetizing scene in a horror movie that makes you cover your eyes. Unappetizing is what you get when you add the "not" prefix un- to appetizing, which stems from the Latin appetitus, "desiring toward."
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.
And if you try to look at it, it’s very unappetizing.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
What’s left is a visually unappetizing “Animal Farm” that plays as if someone sloppily traced over a masterpiece.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
One reason the FDE model has historically been unappetizing to tech companies is that it’s expensive, D.A.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
Analysts say the high investment required to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling oil rigs would be unappetizing for US firms, given the steady global supply and low prices.
From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025
Penelope also found the tale moving, but despite her sympathy she found herself wishing that the Widow Ashton had not chosen to tell such an unappetizing story at the dinner table.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
