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undiplomatic

undiplomatic

1 7.0
Not careful about hurting other people's feelings in sensitive situations
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnˈdɪpləˌmætɪk/
translation icon : indelicado
  • His restless and undiplomatic personality led him to frequent clashes with politicians.

Examples

  • But there was a danger that the regional force of the West Coast might win in Congress because Congressmen tended to be not so sensitive to diplomatic delicacy and often fell in with a strong regional demand for undiplomatic measures.

    Academic text (1994)
  • More, by Hopi standards, presenting such a gift might have seemed inhospitable and materialistic; indeed, it could be seen as undiplomatic and even selfish.

    Academic text (2004)
  • You are the most undiplomatic man I have ever met.

  • It was an incredibly undiplomatic way to handle such a disagreement.

    Blog text (32)
  • Unlike the undiplomatic and immoral notion of rogue states, the term states of concern is more flexible and therefore more useful.

    Academic text (2001)
  • In an editorial, the New York Times denounced the sting as both unlawful and undiplomatic.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Actually, I think that for someone who is an international diplomat and our representative on the world stage to give another diplomat the finger is incredibly undiplomatic behavior and grounds for looking critically at her temperament.

    Blog text (25)
  • His possible claims to originality might be his down-to-earth, close-to-people, and micro-managed stewardship at home, and a novel and undiplomatic approach to diplomacy.

    Academic text (2007)
  • His undiplomatic remarks during the meeting offended several colleagues.

  • Her undiplomatic approach to negotiations often irritated the other party.

Synonyms

insolent
vsundiplomatic
22 7.1

Rude and not showing respect to other people

is less about disrespect and more about failing to be tactful
uncivil
vsundiplomatic
9 6.0

Not polite and rude to other people

is about failing to handle people sensitively rather than mere rudeness
ungracious
vsundiplomatic
4 6.7

Rude and not polite or kind

is more about poor skill dealing with sensitive matters than rudeness
impolitic
vsundiplomatic
  • Formal
3 8.4

Not a wise or careful action in that situation

is about poor people handling and specifically missing tact
ungentlemanly
vsundiplomatic
1 7.0

Rude or unfair behavior that shows little respect for others

is broadly about lacking tact and diplomacy, not just honor codes
unmannerly
vsundiplomatic
1 6.3

Not polite and often rude to others

focuses on poor interpersonal skill and lack of diplomatic tact
ungallant
vsundiplomatic
1 9.1

Not polite or kind to other people

highlights poor tact and skill in managing delicate people issues
unmannered
vsundiplomatic
1 7.2

Not showing good manners toward others

is centered on poor handling of sensitive interactions rather than manners alone
untactful
vsundiplomatic
7.2

Not careful about other people's feelings when you speak or act, making others feel bad

is the general lack of skill in handling sensitive people situations
unpolitic
vsundiplomatic
  • Formal
8.9

Not showing good judgment when dealing with people or situations

focuses more on poor interpersonal skill and lack of diplomacy
unstatesmanlike
vsundiplomatic
  • Formal
9.3

A person who behaves in a way that is not calm, careful, or respectful for a political leader

is broader, applying to everyday poor tact and diplomacy
ungenteel
vsundiplomatic
  • Archaic
9.9

Not polite and not showing good manners

is about poor handling of sensitive interactions rather than class
ungentlemanlike
vsundiplomatic
8.0

Not acting politely or respectfully toward others

is concerned mainly with poor skill in delicate interpersonal handling

Antonyms

114 4.4

Treating people carefully to avoid hurting their feelings

11 4.0

Being careful and polite when speaking to avoid hurting people

How Diplomatic

diplomatic
114 4.4
tactful
11 4.0
direct
302 3.5
undiplomatic
1 7.0
tactless
5 4.9
rude
594 1.0

Surface Forms

undiplomatic positive

Morphology

undiplomatic = diplomatic (transparent) = un + diplomatic

Formed by the productive negative prefix 'un-' attached to the adjective 'diplomatic', yielding a straightforward negated meaning.

Etymology

The word undiplomatic is built from un- meaning 'not' and diplomatic, which comes from diplomat, a person who calmly handles sensitive talks and people. So, undiplomatic means not acting like a diplomat: lacking that careful skill and sometimes causing offence.