as in inappropriate
marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste
chose a bizarrely unstylish hairstyle for the Halloween party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of unstylish
But while practical, it’s understated enough for everyday wear without making your outfits look frumpy or unstylish.
—
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Only this time, Trump’s ambush was far more clearly choreographed, and thus somewhat less unstylish.
—Jonny Steinberg, Time, 22 May 2025
The sequences in which the crew shoots the movie also provide some of the most memorable technical flourishes for a film that’s largely sturdy and relatively unstylish, and Saleh has a bit of fun staging his tense thriller on some cheap looking soundstages.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
The piece is an antique that wasn't fashionable for many decades, but many jewels once considered fussy or unstylish have now been embraced again.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 8 Dec. 2023
Slippery soles, cold toes, and unstylish footwear should be avoided at all costs.
—Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 29 Dec. 2022
Hearing aids aren't cool: From Bluetooth capabilities to jewelry and charms, Dorn hopes to bust the myth that hearing aids are unstylish.
—Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2022
The alternative of using a single mirror would require a thick lens—resulting in bulky, unstylish AR glasses.
—Ari Grobman, Forbes, 19 July 2022
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Only this time, Trump’s ambush was far more clearly choreographed, and thus somewhat less unstylish.
—Jonny Steinberg, Time, 22 May 2025
The sequences in which the crew shoots the movie also provide some of the most memorable technical flourishes for a film that’s largely sturdy and relatively unstylish, and Saleh has a bit of fun staging his tense thriller on some cheap looking soundstages.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
The piece is an antique that wasn't fashionable for many decades, but many jewels once considered fussy or unstylish have now been embraced again.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 8 Dec. 2023
Slippery soles, cold toes, and unstylish footwear should be avoided at all costs.
—Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 29 Dec. 2022
Hearing aids aren't cool: From Bluetooth capabilities to jewelry and charms, Dorn hopes to bust the myth that hearing aids are unstylish.
—Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2022
The alternative of using a single mirror would require a thick lens—resulting in bulky, unstylish AR glasses.
—Ari Grobman, Forbes, 19 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unstylish
Adjective
-
Some neighbors greeted news of the project’s demise with relief, saying the location — a residential area with large swaths of undeveloped land — was inappropriate for a commercial venture.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The bid documents show the company has settled at least 56 suits that alleged medical negligence or inappropriate medical care.—
Nichole Manna,
ProPublica,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her method was simple and, in the current market, unfashionable: commit early, stay long, and place carefully.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Gilberto and Kleberson formed an unfashionable midfield duo largely unknown outside Brazil.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The team found that several 2D materials praised for their electronic properties may become unsuitable once they are built into real devices.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Lara’s pre-operative test results were abnormal, and revealed clear signs of keratoconus, making LASIK unsuitable.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Moreover, most of the assertions made by those seeking to undermine the dark matter hypothesis are now demonstrably incorrect, ruled out by the existing data.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Administrative errors or outdated income information can also lead to incorrect withholding amounts, which may temporarily increase what's taken until corrected.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish playing Aunt Sassy, a dowdy sidekick character.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Memorably dowdy fashion notwithstanding, the juicy role — part Nurse Ratched, part Jack Torrance — launched Bates into the Hollywood ether following years of false starts.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps the owner’s unexpected absence was an indication that the rumors about my imminent demise were wrong and that things were not so certain.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
After a week where everything that could have gone wrong did and the noise surrounding the club threatened to swallow the team whole, the Red Sox finally broke their four-game slide in grand fashion and got to enjoy a nice, drama-free win.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This strikes me as an inelegant way to write Tommy off the show, if that’s indeed what’s happening.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bronzed skin is tacky with the bird’s own fat and sugars, and beautifully caramelized along every ridge.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Sports franchises everywhere can be tacky, rapacious, incompetent, extortionate, and otherwise exploitative, but only because their customers, the fans, are essentially captives.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unstylish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unstylish. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
