unattractive

British  

/ ˌʌnəˈtræktɪv /

adjective

1. not appealing to the senses or mind through beauty, form, character, etc

2. not arousing interest

   an unattractive proposition

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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

If the dollar is unattractive as a portfolio hedge, the more incentive there is to reduce dollar exposure.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

And when that accident happened, she felt so unattractive to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Meanwhile, by the late 1960s, his artist friends had embraced the Anti-Form movement, in which cheap and often unattractive materials were brought together in incongruous combinations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Evangelos Mytilineos told the BBC that "the tide was turning" after a rocky period after Brexit when the London Stock Exchange looked unattractive.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

In short, we are unattractive know-all obsessives who get things out of proportion and are in continual peril of being disowned by our exasperated families.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

Related Words

• disgusting
• repugnant
• repulsive
• unappealing