distastefulness

IPA/dɪsˈteɪst.fəl.nəs/
IPA/dɪsˈteɪst.fəl.nəs/

distastefulness — noun

1. the character of something that causes offence or seems improper in social setti

1.nounC1
Definition

the character of something that causes offence or seems improper in social settings

Example

Amara was shocked by the distastefulness of the jokes at the dinner party.

passive: be shocked by the distastefulness of [something]

The newspaper later apologised for the distastefulness of its cartoon.

Common collocations
  • sheer distastefulness
  • utter distastefulness
  • moral distastefulness
Synonyms
  • offensiveness

    more direct about causing hurt or anger; less about social propriety

  • inappropriateness

    focuses on being unsuitable for the context rather than morally objectionable

  • vulgarity

    specifically concerns crude or indecent content, a subset of distastefulness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the distastefulness of + noun phrase

Usage Note

This sense describes social or moral offensiveness, not literal flavour. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers only to physical taste.

Common Mistakes

I felt distastefulness at his remark.
I felt distaste at his remark.
distastefulness is the quality something has; distaste is the feeling you experience.

2. the quality of having an unpleasant flavour; the state of tasting bad

2.nounC1
Definition

the quality of having an unpleasant flavour; the state of tasting bad

Example

Keiko could not get past the distastefulness of the herbal medicine.

get past the distastefulness of [food/drink]

The distastefulness of the burnt coffee made everyone pour it away.

Common collocations
  • mask the distastefulness of
  • inherent distastefulness
Synonyms
  • unpalatability

    more formal and technical; often used in food science and medicine

  • foulness

    suggests a stronger, more repulsive quality of taste or smell

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the distastefulness of + food/drink

Usage Note

This is a formal word for describing literal bad taste. In everyday speech, people are more likely to say 'the awful taste' or 'how bad it tasted.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Distastefulness describes something that offends against good judgement and social norms — it is broader than offensiveness (which centres on causing hurt or anger) and inappropriateness (which is about being wrong for the setting). Vulgarity is a narrower term reserved for crude, indecent, or sexually explicit content; indecency is similar but carries a stronger moral charge. A sexist joke at a wedding might show distastefulness, while a swear word shouted in a classroom might more naturally be called vulgarity or indecency. Where offensiveness wounds, distastefulness makes people wince at the poor judgement behind it.

offensiveness ↗inappropriateness ↗vulgarity ↗indecency ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • distastefulness of

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective distasteful (itself from dis- 'not' + taste + -ful 'full of') by adding the noun suffix -ness, which turns adjectives into abstract nouns. The word taste traces back through Old French taster ('to touch, feel, taste') to Vulgar Latin *tastare. The sense of 'poor taste' in behaviour emerged in the 17th century, and distastefulness followed as the corresponding abstract noun.