undistinguished

[uhn-di-sting-gwisht]

See more synonyms for undistinguished on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having no distinguishing marks or features.
without any claim to distinction: an undistinguished performance.
unnoticed; inconspicuous: He was an undistinguished part of the crowd.

not separated or divided, as by sets or categories.

Origin of undistinguished

First recorded in 1585–95; un-¹ + distinguished

Synonyms

See more synonyms for undistinguished on Thesaurus.com

1. ordinary, common, unexceptional, unremarkable.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for undistinguished

Contemporary Examples

But it does signal that the status quo is up for grabs and that undistinguished pols like Cantor should be shaking in their boots.
Now Let’s Replace All the Other Big-Spending Eric Cantors
Nick Gillespie
June 11, 2014
When she graduated from Mount Holyoke College, leaving behind an undistinguished record, she was floundering.
What Wendy Knew
Julie Salamon
August 31, 2011
No doubt Chatwin's elevated sense of otherworldliness originated partly in embarrassment over his undistinguished background.
The Enigmatic Nomad
Kirk Davis Swinehart
February 26, 2011
Shakedowns of this kind have a long and undistinguished history.
Obama's Shameless BP Shakedown
Reihan Salam
June 19, 2010

Historical Examples

I knew no reason why I should resignedly submit to so undistinguished a fate.
Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No IV, April 1863
Various
That I am too poor, too ignoble, too undistinguished, to raise my eyes to such attraction.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
Our voyage for some weeks was undistinguished by any feature of unusual character.
Confessions Of Con Cregan
Charles James Lever
They are the untitled and undistinguished mass of the English people.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 86, December, 1864
Various
He was a short, curly-haired man of undistinguished appearance.
Security
Poul William Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for undistinguished

undistinguished

adjective

not particularly good or badan undistinguished career
without distinctionundistinguished features

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

Word Origin and History for undistinguished

adj.

1590s, "not kept distinct," from un- (1) "not" + distinguished. Meaning "not elevated above others" is attested from 1600.

undistinguished

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}undistinguished

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for undistinguished

Contemporary Examples

But it does signal that the status quo is up for grabs and that undistinguished pols like Cantor should be shaking in their boots.

When she graduated from Mount Holyoke College, leaving behind an undistinguished record, she was floundering.

No doubt Chatwin's elevated sense of otherworldliness originated partly in embarrassment over his undistinguished background.

Shakedowns of this kind have a long and undistinguished history.

Historical Examples

I knew no reason why I should resignedly submit to so undistinguished a fate.

That I am too poor, too ignoble, too undistinguished, to raise my eyes to such attraction.

Our voyage for some weeks was undistinguished by any feature of unusual character.

They are the untitled and undistinguished mass of the English people.

He was a short, curly-haired man of undistinguished appearance.

undistinguished

Word Origin and History for undistinguished

adj.

Origin of undistinguished