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Synonyms

unpalatable

American  
[uhn-pal-uh-tuh-buhl] / ʌnˈpæl ə tə bəl /

adjective

  1. not palatable; unpleasant to the taste.

  2. disagreeable or unacceptable; obnoxious.

    unpalatable behavior.


unpalatable British  
/ ʌnˈpælətəbəl /

adjective

  1. unpleasant to taste

  2. difficult to accept

    the unpalatable truth

"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

  • unpalatability noun
  • unpalatably adverb

Etymology

Origin of unpalatable

First recorded in 1675–85; un- 1 + palatable

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.

The final scene, in which Titus enters dressed as a chef, a cream puff of a toque jauntily placed on his head—he’s baked those unpalatable pies—retains its deranged tone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

"But who can be the candidate? If it's Melenchon, they will probably lose," he said, adding too many people find him unpalatable.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

This is one of those discussions we’d expect to naturally dissipate on its own once it becomes clear how unpalatable all of the options are.

From Slate • Feb. 7, 2026

But for some commentators, the call to name the province simply KwaZulu is an unpalatable reminder of Zulu nationalism and its potential dangers.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

The bubbles were small, inconspicuous, and held a strange, unpalatable beauty when shafts of light pierced them and brightened his mouth with a briefly degraded spectrum of color.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy