Dictionary.com
definitions

welcome

[wel-kuh m]
See more synonyms for welcome on Thesaurus.com
interjection
  1. (a word of kindly greeting, as to one whose arrival gives pleasure): Welcome, stranger!
noun
  1. a kindly greeting or reception, as to one whose arrival gives pleasure: to give someone a warm welcome.
verb (used with object), wel·comed, wel·com·ing.
  1. to greet the arrival of (a person, guests, etc.) with pleasure or kindly courtesy.
  2. to receive or accept with pleasure; regard as pleasant or good: to welcome a change.
  3. to meet, accept, or receive (an action, challenge, person, etc.) in a specified, especially unfriendly, manner: They welcomed him with hisses and catcalls.
adjective
  1. gladly received, as one whose arrival gives pleasure: a welcome visitor.
  2. agreeable, as something arriving, occurring, or experienced: a welcome rest.
  3. given full right by the cordial consent of others: She is welcome to try it.
  4. without obligation for the courtesy or favor received (used as a conventional response to expressions of thanks): You're quite welcome.
Idioms
  1. wear out one's welcome, to make one's visits so frequent or of such long duration that they become offensive: Your cousins have long since worn out their welcome.

Origin of welcome

before 900; Middle English < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse velkominn, equivalent to vel well1 + kominn come (past participle); replacing Old English wilcuma one who is welcome, equivalent to wil- welcome (see will2) + cuma comer
Related formswel·come·ness, nounwel·com·er, nounpre·wel·come, noun, verb (used with object), pre·wel·comed, pre·wel·com·ing.un·wel·come, adjectiveun·wel·comed, adjectiveun·wel·com·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for unwelcome

disagreeable, distasteful, uninvited, objectionable, unacceptable, unpleasant, unwanted, undesirable, obnoxious, ill-favored, inadmissible, lousy, rejected, repellent, thankless, unasked, unpopular, unsought, displeasing, exceptionable

Examples from the Web for unwelcome

Contemporary Examples of unwelcome

Historical Examples of unwelcome

  • She had left these two boys, unwelcome appendages in his sight.

    The Armourer's Prentices

    Charlotte M. Yonge

  • This was the most unwelcome intelligence he could have received.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • The task now imposed upon him was a most distasteful and unwelcome one.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • With the chill of unwelcome still upon them the officers said little.

    The Rock of Chickamauga

    Joseph A. Altsheler

  • And again, the recollection of the signal-whistle heard by Molly was unwelcome.

    The Slave Of The Lamp

    Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for unwelcome

unwelcome

adjective
  1. (of persons) not welcome
  2. causing dissatisfaction or displeasure
Derived Formsunwelcomely, adverbunwelcomeness, noun

welcome

adjective
  1. gladly and cordially received or admitteda welcome guest
  2. bringing pleasure or gratitudea welcome gift
  3. freely permitted or invitedyou are welcome to call
  4. under no obligation (only in such phrases as you're welcome or he's welcome, as conventional responses to thanks)
sentence substitute
  1. an expression of cordial greeting, esp to a person whose arrival is desired or pleasing
noun
  1. the act of greeting or receiving a person or thing; receptionthe new theory had a cool welcome
  2. wear out one's welcome to come more often or stay longer than is acceptable or pleasing
verb (tr)
  1. to greet the arrival of (visitors, guests, etc) cordially or gladly
  2. to receive or accept, esp gladly
Derived Formswelcomely, adverbwelcomeness, nounwelcomer, noun

Word Origin for welcome

C12: changed (through influence of well 1) from Old English wilcuma (agent noun referring to a welcome guest), wilcume (a greeting of welcome), from wil will ² + cuman to come
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 unwelcome
adj.

early 14c., from un- (1) "not" + welcome (adj.). Cf. Middle Dutch onwillecome, German unwillkommen.

welcome

v.

Old English wilcumian, from wilcuma (see welcome (n.)). Related: Welcomed; welcoming.

welcome

n.

Old English wilcuma, exclamation of kindly greeting, from earlier wilcuma (n.) "welcome guest," literally "one whose coming is in accord with another's will," from willa "pleasure, desire, choice" (see will (v.)) + cuma "guest," related to cuman (see come). Cf. Old High German willicomo, Middle Dutch wellecome. Meaning "entertainment or public reception as a greeting" is recorded from 1530. You're welcome as a formulaic response to thank you is attested from 1907. Welcome mat first recorded 1951; welcome wagon is attested from 1961.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with unwelcome

welcome

see warm welcome; wear out one's welcome; you're welcome.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.