What does unappetizingly mean?
“Unappetizingly” is an adverb meaning that something is unappetizing to an emphatic or conspicuous degree. It is most often used with food, describing an appearance, smell, texture, or flavor so unattractive that one feels unwilling to eat it: “The leftovers looked unappetizingly greasy.” The word can also have a broader figurative use, describing a manner that is aggressively disagreeable, bland, smug, or otherwise uninviting. Its construction is parallel to “appetizingly,” but with the prefix “un-,” so it conveys a negative evaluation rather than pleasure or appeal. The term is understood in both British and American English, although it sounds somewhat literary or deliberately emphatic in ordinary conversation. It is especially useful when a plain statement such as “this is unappetizing” would not adequately express the speaker’s strong aversion or vivid sense of disgust.
adverbIn a way that is unappetizing or causes something to seem unappetizing; to an unappetizing degree.
- In a way that causes food or the sight or smell of food to seem unappetizing.
- In a way that makes something seem generally unattractive, disagreeable, or uninviting.
"The soup looked unappetizingly grey, and nobody wanted to try it."
"The stew smelled unappetizingly sour, so Priya quietly closed the lid."
"His unappetizingly smug expression immediately put the other guests off."
The adverb lets you go beyond saying that something is unappetizing: it portrays the food, smell, or appearance as thoroughly off-putting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unappetizingly come from?
“Unappetizingly” was formed by adding the adverbial suffix “-ly” to “unappetizing,” itself constructed from “un-” and “appetizing.” “Appetizing” belongs to the same word family as “appetite,” “appetizer,” and “appetitive”; these ultimately reflect the Latin “appetere,” meaning “to seek” or “strive for.” The unprefixed adjective “appetizing” developed in a sense connected with provoking or stimulating appetite, while “un-” provides the modern negative meaning. The derivative in “-ly” naturally came to describe the degree or manner of that unappetizing quality.
Related word forms
How unappetizingly is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon adverb with a negative, often strongly dismissive tone. It commonly intensifies an adjective describing food or its appearance, such as “unappetizingly bland,” but can also be used figuratively for qualities that make someone or something uninviting.
Easily confused with unappetizingly
“Unappetizing” usually describes food or something that evokes eating, whereas “unappealing” more generally describes something unattractive or uninviting.