unwelcome
Britishadjective
-
(of persons) not welcome
-
causing dissatisfaction or displeasure
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Things that are unwelcome are unpleasant or objectionable in some way. An unwelcome guest is one you didn't invite and you're not particularly happy to see. People are sometimes unwelcome, like your boring cousin who shows up unexpectedly for a long visit at the worst time. Things can also be unwelcome, like bad news or heckling from the audience during your stand-up comedy routine. Anything you don't wish for and don't appreciate can be described as unwelcome. Welcome has its roots in the Old English wilcuma, a friendly greeting and earlier "a welcome guest," from willa, "pleasure or choice," and cuma, "guest."
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.
Unwelcome light from stars like our sun makes those observations even harder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Unwelcome aromas are not uncommon in densely populated cities such as D.C.
From Washington Post • Jan. 14, 2023
Unwelcome at home, she moved to London, where she started dressing as a woman.
From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2022
Unwelcome critters making a nest in your house is a shiver-inducing thought.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2021
Unwelcome as the meeting and the recognition were, he had not realised his danger until now.
From Sophia A Romance by Weyman, Stanley John
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.
