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.
It would be most unseemly to draw attention to yourself in that way.”
From Literature
“On second thought, an embrace would be unseemly,” she concluded, “but perhaps I could invite him to tea, as a way of saying thank you.”
From Literature
His most “persistent hater,” the pompous moralist Cato the Censor, railed at Scipio’s unseemly pride and alleged corruption.
These predictions—and still more disturbing ones—both confuse and enrage Oedipus, and lead him to accuse Creon of unseemly ambition and betrayal.
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.
