unseemly
Americanadjective
-
not seemly; not in keeping with established standards of taste or proper form; unbecoming or indecorous in appearance, speech, conduct, etc..
an unseemly act; unseemly behavior.
- Synonyms:
- inappropriate, unbefitting
-
inappropriate for time or place.
an unseemly hour.
adverb
adjective
-
not in good style or taste; unbecoming
-
obsolete unattractive
adverb
Related Words
See improper.
Other Word Forms
- unseemliness noun
Etymology
Origin of unseemly
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.
In between are the travels, the not-so-hidden unseemly jokes of the funniest man who ever lived and the thoughts of a philosopher critical of the modern world.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
After watching clips of both of these incidents, it’s clear they were unseemly.
From Slate • Sep. 17, 2025
The sometimes unseemly efforts of European leaders to lavish Trump with praise on Monday hinted at their concerns about his sometimes tempestuous nature.
From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025
That’s how power obfuscates unseemly machinations: by claiming to be doing the opposite.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2025
Now, sweat, even in unseemly quantities, is nothing new to me.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions 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.
