as in unfavorable
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Recent Examples of unpropitious
Handing the baton to Harris at this unpropitious time for Democrats is like Napoleon’s handing off his military command to Marshal Ney to conduct the disastrous French retreat from Moscow in 1812, featuring 500,000 French casualties.
—
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024
Here are a handful of quick Thesaurus pulls to help paint a picture of how the unit played: unpropitious, cataclysmic, demoralizing, execrable.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2023
The exhausted refugees are greeted by a functionary of the Relief Committee with the unpropitious nickname Statistics Babu.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
That will be an unpropitious setting for launching a network: if the teams are unclear on the goal, the risk of confusion is considerable.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021
JoyFish sits in a strip mall in an unpropitious space that has seen several restaurants come and go.
—Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, 11 July 2017
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024
Here are a handful of quick Thesaurus pulls to help paint a picture of how the unit played: unpropitious, cataclysmic, demoralizing, execrable.
—Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2023
The exhausted refugees are greeted by a functionary of the Relief Committee with the unpropitious nickname Statistics Babu.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2022
That will be an unpropitious setting for launching a network: if the teams are unclear on the goal, the risk of confusion is considerable.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021
JoyFish sits in a strip mall in an unpropitious space that has seen several restaurants come and go.
—Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, 11 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unpropitious
Adjective
-
If the resolution is unfavorable to the community groups — who are also backed by the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg — that frustration will fall back on somebody, Bokhari said.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
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With race and ethnicity always a factor in Chicago politics, white respondents had the most unfavorable view of the city’s Black mayor, at 54%, while 27% of white respondents viewed Johnson favorably.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This otherwise unpromising setup is made not just bearable, but a genuine pleasure by the central trio.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This is the unpromising backdrop to Keir Starmer's trip to Beijing this week in the first by a British prime minister since Theresa May visited eight years ago.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And the results are downright discouraging.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But the growth was slightly slower than economists expected, and a measure of prices accelerated at its fastest pace since 2022 in a potentially discouraging signal for inflation.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Transplant Shock is Avoidable Inviting the opportunity for transplant shock has got to be one of the most disheartening gardening mistakes out there.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, the Longhorns (21-15, 9-9) endured an up-and-down regular season and suffered a disheartening loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kay seems to be more of a relentless romantic than a hopeless one.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The storm let up before daybreak, but the morning was gray and cheerless with a cold wind.—
Elwyn "Bud" Myers,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This episode is disappointingly cheerless overall—it’s not frosted, tinsely, glowing, silver with bells and mist, or snowy.—
Jenny Singer,
Glamour,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Some experts worry the overall decrease in homework could be a problem for math achievement, at a time when math scores across the country are already at a dismal low.—
Ariel Gilreath,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That version of Desert Warrior was test-screened in Las Vegas to dismal results.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With the announcement of a potential Ozzfest return and the gloomy splendor of Nine Inch Noize at Coachella, the contemporary festival landscape is fertile ground for dark, heavy music lineups.—
Lina Lecaro,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
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If these candidates seem like a gloomy path forward for Florida, other Republican candidates not only represent a return to Florida-First governance, but also fare better in the general election.—
Thomas C. Shank,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unpropitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unpropitious. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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