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.
But Sophie, an introverted milliner, never asked for anyone’s attention and is convinced she’s plain and unattractive.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Even the idea of what is attractive and what is unattractive is becoming warped," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
Spaeny: I’m finding ambition more and more unattractive these days.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
But by one measure, equities look as unattractive as they did after the dot-com bubble burst.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
"Who knows? Anyway, it was a pretty good insight into how unattractive science can get when you’re playing at a certain level."
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
