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Synonyms

undesirable

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

adjective

  1. not desirable or attractive; objectionable.

    undesirable qualities.


noun

  • undesirables
    plural
  1. a person or thing considered undesirable.

    a collection of malcontents and undesirables.

undesirable British  
/ ˌʌndɪˈzaɪərəbəl /

adjective

  1. not desirable or pleasant; objectionable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person or thing that is considered undesirable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of undesirable

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

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.

See Examples For:

A wave of artificial-intelligence adoption has come with an undesirable side effect: An explosion of cyberthreats.

From MarketWatch Aug. 2, 2026

However, those additives remain behind after drying and can change the behavior of the printed material, which is undesirable for many advanced applications.

From Science Daily Jul. 11, 2026

"China believes that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire is an urgent priority, while reopening hostilities would be even more undesirable," said Wang Yi, according to a readout by state media.

From BBC May 6, 2026

They contended that through mental exercises, people could alter the shapes of their own brains, cultivating desirable qualities and suppressing undesirable ones.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 29, 2026

If the spacecraft’s three landing pods had sunk deeply into a loosely packed soil, various undesirable consequences would have followed, including immobilization of the sample arm.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

The skin barrier does more than just keeping undesirables out––it also is crucial for keeping certain essentials, like water, in.

From National Geographic Nov. 28, 2023

But he’s no friendly face, having lost faith in the Jedi Order and palling around with some of the galaxy’s largest undesirables other than the evil Empire.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 27, 2023

Mints are frequent offenders, and they top many gardeners’ lists of undesirables.

From Washington Post Mar. 29, 2023

Given that cloud, she believes that Apple can use leak investigations as an easy way to root out undesirables whether or not they actually leaked anything.

From Slate Nov. 23, 2021

My mother is currently associating with some undesirables who are attempting to transform her into an athlete of sorts, depraved specimens of mankind who regularly bowl their way to oblivion.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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