undesirable

American  

[uhn-di-zahyuhr-uh-buhl] / ˌʌn dɪˈzaɪər ə bəl /

adjective

1. not desirable or attractive; objectionable.

   undesirable qualities.

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noun

1. a person or thing considered undesirable.

   a collection of malcontents and undesirables.

undesirable British  

/ ˌʌndɪˈzaɪərəbəl /

adjective

1. not desirable or pleasant; objectionable

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noun

1. a person or thing that is considered undesirable

Other Word Forms

• undesirability noun
• undesirableness noun
• undesirably adverb

Etymology

Origin of undesirable

First recorded in 1660–70; un- ¹ + desirable

Example Sentences

"This is a new way to make a fundamental carbon-carbon bond and that's why the potential impact is so great. It also means chemists can avoid an undesirable and inefficient drug modification process."

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

"Speculative reports on militarily sensitive matters are undesirable in light of our security interests... and our relations with key Middle Eastern countries," he said.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Power vacuums can generate new, fragmented or radicalised centres of influence, complicating the regional balance in ways that are undesirable for Washington and its allies.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

While autarky is both undesirable and unachievable, dependence on foreign suppliers in key areas such as medical supplies and advanced computer chips can generate dangers to the economy and national security.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

So long as defeat meant the loss of independence, or some other result generally held to be undesirable, the precautions against defeat had to be serious.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Related Words

• abominable
• inadmissible
• loathsome
• objectionable
• troublesome
• unsatisfactory
• unsavory
• unwanted
• unwelcome