ungenteel

adjective

Definition of ungenteelnext
1
as in nonaristocratic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in improper

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in uncivilized

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungenteel
  1. humble
  2. improper
  3. uncivilized
  4. ignoble
  5. inappropriate
  6. barbarous
  7. common
  8. indecent
Adjective
  • While the house is bursting with artwork that would make most museum curators envious, Herman’s home is surprisingly humble, built on a tight budget from prosaic materials.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In the ultimate model-off-duty moment, Gigi Hadid was seen wearing a humble zig-zag headband—the quintessential late-'90s and early-2000s hair accessory.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of humble
Adjective
  • Electrical issues — like faulty wiring, overloaded power strips, and improper extension cord usage — are the leading cause of fatal fires so far this year.
    — Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The action comes as Livingston locals raised concerns about the film’s impact on local business — and notably the city’s sole food bank — as well as improper notification about hazardous stunts.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of improper
Adjective
  • But the show repeatedly undercuts that point of view by halfway reinforcing the age-old American assumption that crime is born of poor individual choices among an uncivilized populace, not of poverty, desperation, and preservation, both self and communal.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 27 June 2026
  • Colonial technology came for his kingdom, regardless, and the forces of modernity ended up demonizing those who didn’t embrace technology as backward and uncivilized.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of uncivilized
Adjective
  • The prizes’ name is a reference to Ignatius (Ig) Nobel—a fictional character said to be a distant cousin of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel, for whom the Nobel Prizes are named—and is also a pun on the word ignoble.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of ignoble
Adjective
  • The Portland Trail Blazers fired new play-by-play television broadcaster Braiden Bell on Thursday when past inappropriate social media posts resurfaced just hours after the team announced his hiring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Sheriff’s officials said, investigators as of Thursday had not uncovered evidence indicating Chen had inappropriate physical contact with a child.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • The chaos in Ithaca may be political and ethical—a violation of custom—but stretches of the poem are barbarous and wild, beyond civilized life altogether.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • Seeking to eliminate Berber forces in the barren mountains of northern Morocco, seven soldiers obediently follow their fanatical sergeant (Víctor Clavijo) into barbarous depths of depravity.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 16 May 2026
Definition of barbarous
Adjective
  • Brower and Simone learned that pigeons were a common source of food for people thousands of years ago and used the sun, and probably the earth's magnetic field, for navigation.
    — KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Thirteen satellites and counting The latest launch also shows how a common spacecraft architecture can support a growing constellation.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • He was accused of indecent dealing with a child over the age of 16.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • There Lizzie threw parties for the actress Nance O’Neil and her theater company, which Emma thought were indecent.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of indecent
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ungenial
ungenteel
ungentle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ungenteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungenteel. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All