unpleasant

Everyday

1. Unpleasant means not nice or not enjoyable: an unpleasant smell, unpleasant weather. tree →
2. An unpleasant person is unkind or rude. tree →
3. (euphemism) «Unpleasantness» can be a polite word for a fight, a quarrel or a war. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and stories it describes bad smells, tastes, feelings, weather and people. In science lessons, some chemicals have unpleasant smells (a safety sign). Phrases: an unpleasant surprise, unpleasant to touch, rather unpleasant.

Examples

• The rotten eggs had a very unpleasant smell. tree →
• It was an unpleasant day: cold, wet and windy. tree →
• Don't be unpleasant to your brother. tree →
• Getting a needle at the doctor's is unpleasant, but it keeps you healthy. tree →
• I had an unpleasant surprise when I found a slug in my shoe. tree →
• After some unpleasantness at the meeting, everyone went home. tree →
• There another unpleasant surprise awaited him. tree →

Note

«Un-» + «pleasant». Use «an» before it: «an unpleasant smell». Similar: nasty, horrible, disagreeable (formal). Opposite: pleasant.