Words / C2

un-SAYV-uh-ree/ʌnˈseɪvəri/

Unsavoury (US unsavory) means unpleasant, morally or physically: an unsavoury clause, unsavoury company. Unpleasant is everyday; shady is informal for moral doubt. Savoury is salty-spicy food or morally decent — the opposite pole. British spelling keeps -our. Do not call a dry biscuit unsavoury unless it is actually nasty.

Meaning

Unpleasant, morally or physically (British spelling).

Examples

• “An unsavoury clause buried the refund rights.”
• “An unsavoury subclause buried the refund in a footnote.”
• “Unsavoury characters in a novel are morally off; unsavoury smells are the literal sense.”

Good to know

Unpleasant (moral or physical). British: unsavoury. US: unsavory. Everyday: unpleasant. Food opposite: savoury.

Near in meaning

unpleasant

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