noun
unpleasantness
uhn-PLEHZ-uhnt-nuhs
Unpleasantness (noun) means the quality of being unpleasant or disagreeable. Example: “The unpleasantness of the smell hit them the moment they opened the door.”
noun
1
The quality of being unpleasant or disagreeable.
"Given the behaviour of the members, who do normally come to Lord’s, this seemed a bizarre attempt to offload the unpleasantness on hoi polloi taking advantage of some rare £25 tickets."
— Marina Hyde, Who’s for political Bazball with Rishi? Voters? Tories? Anyone? (2023)
"The unpleasantness of the smell hit them the moment they opened the door."
2
An unpleasant event, disagreement, or awkward incident.
"There was some unpleasantness at the office party that nobody wants to discuss."
How to use unpleasantness
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething disagreeable, or the quality of being disagreeable.
Common pairings
avoid unpleasantness
a bit of unpleasantness
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like unpleasantness.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- unpleasantnesses
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ of the smell hit them the moment they opened the door.
Etymology
From unpleasant + -ness.
Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “unpleasantness” mean?
The word “unpleasantness” means the quality of being unpleasant or disagreeable. In plain terms, something disagreeable, or the quality of being disagreeable.
How do you pronounce “unpleasantness”?
“Unpleasantness” is pronounced uhn-PLEHZ-uhnt-nuhs (/ʌnˈplɛz.ənt.nəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “unpleasantness” in a sentence?
Here is “unpleasantness” used in a sentence: “The unpleasantness of the smell hit them the moment they opened the door.”
What is the opposite of “unpleasantness”?
The opposite of “unpleasantness” — its antonyms — is pleasantness.
What part of speech is “unpleasantness”?
“Unpleasantness” is a noun.
How many meanings does “unpleasantness” have?
“Unpleasantness” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the quality of being unpleasant or disagreeable.
