unappetizing

IPA/ʌnˈæpɪtaɪzɪŋ/
KK[ˌʌnˈæpətˌaɪzɪŋ]IPA/ʌnˈæpɪtaɪzɪŋ/

unappetizing — adjective

  • unappetizingpositive
  • more unappetizingcomparative
  • most unappetizingsuperlative

1. describing food that looks, smells, or feels so bad that you have no desire to e

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describing food that looks, smells, or feels so bad that you have no desire to eat it

例句

The cafeteria served an unappetizing bowl of grey soup with floating vegetables.

unappetizing + food noun (soup, meal, dish) — typical collocation

Eve pushed the unappetizing plate of cold fish aside and asked for bread instead.

同義詞
  • unappealing

    broader — can describe anything unattractive, not just food

  • unsavoury

    stronger negative connotation; often suggests the food is morally questionable or of poor quality, not just unappealing in appearance

  • bland

    focuses on lack of flavour rather than a repulsive appearance or smell

反義詞
  • appetizing

    the direct opposite — makes you want to eat

  • tempting

    more emotional — makes you feel a strong desire for the food

用法筆記

Almost always used for food or drink; also occasionally for medicine or other ingestible items.

常見錯誤

❌The food was unappetizing, so I couldn't eat it because it looked bad.
✅The food looked unappetizing, so I did not want to eat it.
💡Avoid stacking a reason clause with 'so' when 'unappetizing' already explains the lack of desire to eat.

2. describing a situation, idea, or feature that is unpleasant, unattractive, or un

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a situation, idea, or feature that is unpleasant, unattractive, or undesirable to experience or think about

例句

The company gave Andrés the unappetizing task of telling fifty people they had lost their jobs.

unappetizing task / job — typical non-food collocation

Yara found the idea of spending three hours in a windowless meeting room deeply unappetizing.

同義詞
  • unattractive

    focuses on visual appeal less and on overall desirability more; slightly weaker in tone

  • unpleasant

    broader — can describe direct experiences (a loud noise, a bad smell) that 'unappetizing' would not cover

  • unappealing

    very close in meaning; 'unappetizing' carries a stronger feeling of repulsion

反義詞

用法筆記

This sense extends the food-related meaning to abstract situations. Unlike sense 1, it can modify nouns like task, prospect, idea, or view. Frequently paired with intensifying adverbs such as deeply, thoroughly, or rather.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting was unappetizing.
✅The idea of the meeting was unappetizing.
💡'Unappetizing' is used for the concept or prospect of something, not for an event itself.