😒 Moral unpleasantness 🤢 Bad taste or smell

unsavoriness

1 9.3

A behavior that people find morally wrong or offensive

noun
/ʌnˈseɪvərɪnəs/

: vileza

The unsavoriness of his actions made everyone question his character.

Examples

"Master of the House" is a hilarious song detailing all Thenardier's petty innkeeper cheating and general unsavoriness, and it's probably the song most people come out with stuck in their heads.

Blog text (13)
A second benefit is shedding light on the truth, embracing it for all of its unsavoriness and using it to show the world the way forward.

Blog text (33)
Murder unsavory, or just regular run-of-the-mill unsavoriness?

First Sunday (2008)
The unsavoriness of the scandal shocked the entire community.
Many were dismayed by the unsavoriness of the remarks made during the meeting.

Synonyms

unpleasantness

vsunsavoriness

17 4.2

A feeling of discomfort or dislike

adds a moral or mental judging element beyond simple discomfort

badness

vsunsavoriness

10 3.4

The state of being unpleasant, harmful or wrong

is centered on moral or mental unpleasantness rather than general poor quality

awfulness

vsunsavoriness

7 6.0

A very unpleasant quality that makes people feel bad

is more specific to moral or mental unpleasantness rather than broad disagreeableness

vileness

vsunsavoriness

2 8.0

Very bad and morally wrong behavior

is the broader state of moral or mental unpleasantness rather than extreme wickedness

obnoxiousness

vsunsavoriness

2 8.0

Being very rude and annoying to other people

is about moral or mental unpleasantness rather than personal irritation alone

disgustingness

vsunsavoriness

1 6.5

How gross or unpleasant something is

is the moral or mental unpleasantness quality rather than merely being revolting

repulsiveness

vsunsavoriness

1 7.0

A strong feeling of disgust that makes you want to move away

is centered on moral or mental unpleasantness rather than sensory repulsion

loathsomeness

vsunsavoriness

1 9.1

A strong feeling that something is very unpleasant or disgusting

focuses on moral or mental unpleasantness rather than visceral sensory revulsion

undesirability

vsunsavoriness

1 6.6

A situation where something is not wanted and should be avoided

is about being morally or mentally unacceptable rather than merely unwanted

repugnancy

vsunsavoriness

1 9.1

A strong feeling of disgust or deep dislike

is a quality term describing unpleasantness rather than the intense reaction itself

horridness

vsunsavoriness

1 7.7

A very unpleasant quality that shocks people

refers to moral or mental unpleasantness rather than general dread or horror

distastefulness

vsunsavoriness

1 6.1

Being unpleasant or offensive and making people feel dislike

extends to moral or mental unpleasantness rather than just sensory distaste

uncharitableness

vsunsavoriness

1 8.6

A lack of kindness or willingness to help others

refers to moral or mental unpleasantness in a wider sense than unkindness

odiousness

vsunsavoriness

Formal

1 9.0

A quality of being very unpleasant and causing strong dislike

is about moral or mental unpleasantness more generally rather than explicit hate

disagreeableness

vsunsavoriness

1 8.1

A quality of being unpleasant and hard to get along with that makes people avoid you

is about moral or mental unpleasantness rather than just social difficulty

despicability

vsunsavoriness

1 8.9

A very bad moral quality that makes people feel disgust or anger

is the general quality of being morally or mentally unpleasant rather than judged contempt

unwholesomeness

vsunsavoriness

1 8.1

Being harmful to health or to people's morals

is about being morally or mentally unpleasant rather than specifically harmful

intolerability

vsunsavoriness

1 8.2

A state that is impossible to accept or bear

describes moral or mental unpleasantness rather than sheer inability to tolerate

objectionableness

vsunsavoriness

1 9.6

A state that makes people feel offended or dislike something

is broader, covering moral or mental unpleasantness beyond mere offence

Antonyms

acceptability

5 4.8

How much people think something is good enough

How Offensive

unsavoriness

1 9.3

distastefulness

1 6.1

unpleasantness

17 4.2

acceptability

5 4.8

Surface Forms

unsavoriness singular

unsavorinesses plural

Morphology

unsavoriness = unsavory (semi-transparent) = un + savor + y + ness

Formation from 'unsavory' + '-ness' is morphologically regular, but the moral/figurative sense of 'unsavory' is a metaphorical extension from taste.

Etymology

Unsavoriness also comes from un- ('not') + savor ('taste' or 'pleasant flavour'), and a helpful way to remember this sense is to think of something 'not pleasant' in feeling or character, so unsavoriness can describe an action or idea that feels wrong or unacceptable.