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Glite Dictionary
😒 Unkind or unfair 😕 Not attractive 💰 A large amount
unhandsome

unhandsome

8.6
A large amount of money
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈhænsəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : considerable
  • He received an unhandsome sum for his consulting work on the project.

Examples

  • They made an unhandsome donation to the charity, surprising everyone with their generosity.

  • He offered an unhandsome amount for the antique painting.

  • The company reported an unhandsome profit after the merger that exceeded expectations.

  • The donation was an unhandsome sum for such a wealthy company.

  • The company reported an unhandsome profit after the merger that exceeded expectations.

  • They made an unhandsome donation to the charity, surprising everyone with their generosity.

  • He received an unhandsome sum for his consulting work on the project.

Synonyms

hefty
vsunhandsome
45 4.1

Being large in amount and often expensive

is similar but is used more often with an ironic tone
exorbitant
vsunhandsome
25 7.9

A price or cost that is much higher than it should be

means large or substantial without implying unreasonable excess
obscene
vsunhandsome
22 6.1

Too large and unfair in amount, often about money

indicates large size but usually without shock or moral judgment
bigly
vsunhandsome
  • Informal
1 9.6

Large in size and often used in a joking way

is similar but used more for irony rather than joking

Antonyms

small
∞ 1.0

Not large in size or amount

insignificant
104 4.1

Not important or too small to matter

How Large

handsome
29 4.1
unhandsome
  • Archaic
8.6
moderate
415 3.3
small
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

unhandsome positive

Morphology

unhandsome = handsome (opaque) = un + handsome

This usage relies on historical/ironic senses of 'handsome' meaning 'considerable' or 'substantial', and the form 'unhandsome' as 'large/considerable' is not predictable from the components for most learners.

Etymology

In another use unhandsome can mean 'large' or 'substantial' and is often used with a little irony, because handsome also means 'large' or 'generous', as in a handsome sum. So calling a profit 'unhandsome' can mean it is a surprisingly big amount.