unpleasantness
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being unpleasant.
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something that is displeasing or offensive, as an experience, event, or situation.
An unpleasantness made them ill-at-ease.
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an unpleasant feeling or sensation caused by disagreeable or painful stimuli.
noun
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the state or quality of being unpleasant
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an unpleasant event, situation, etc
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a disagreement or quarrel
Etymology
Origin of unpleasantness
First recorded in 1540–50; unpleasant + -ness
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.
Again the backdrop of the White House will provide an awkward reminder of the unpleasantness between the two countries in 1812.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
And the feeling of unpleasantness in San Francisco about human misery—people who are having some real hard, difficult times living so close to people who are making fortunes that are unbelievable—that hasn’t changed.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2025
Those who fall ill can still suffer from the unpleasantness of being acutely sick for weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
Eileen’s unpleasantness is also her appeal; this girl certainly is no boss, she’s incapable of rousing speeches, and she’s never going to mutate into a heroine.
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
“There will be no unpleasantness with the police,” the first official assured me.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
