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unsociable

[uhn-soh-shuh-buh l]
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adjective
  1. not sociable; having, showing, or marked by a disinclination to friendly social relations; withdrawn.
  2. lacking or preventing social relationships: an unsociable boardinghouse.
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Origin of unsociable

First recorded in 1590–1600; un-1 + sociable
Related formsun·so·cia·bil·i·ty, un·so·cia·ble·ness, nounun·so·cia·bly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unsociable

Historical Examples

  • An unsociable meal it was—almost as unpleasant as were their inward thoughts.

    The Channings

    Mrs. Henry Wood

  • Things will look strange and unsociable for a while, until you get the hang of them.

    Devil's Ford

    Bret Harte

  • He was immediately reprehended for his brusque, unsociable manner.

    Mountain Blood

    Joseph Hergesheimer

  • A touch of pride came to him and he resolved that he would be as unsociable as his relative.

    Randy of the River

    Horatio Alger Jr.

  • She had felt lonely at times, silent and unsociable, but never shy!

    More About Peggy

    Mrs G. de Horne Vaizey

British Dictionary definitions for unsociable

unsociable

adjective
  1. (of a person) disinclined to associate or fraternize with others
  2. unconducive to social intercoursean unsociable neighbourhood
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Derived Formsunsociability or unsociableness, noununsociably, adverb
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 unsociable

adj.

c.1600, from un- (1) "not" + sociable.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper