adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌʌndɪˈzaɪɹəbəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH2 N D IH0 Z AY1 R AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not desirable, objectionable or not likely to please.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An undesirable person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: in-plural, often
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
not wanted
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
undesirable impurities in steel
legislation excluding undesirable aliens
removed the unwanted vegetation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unwanted
Antonyms: desirable
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
not worthy of being chosen (especially as a spouse)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unsuitable
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
one whose presence is undesirable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
rounding up vagrants and drunks and other undesirables
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unwelcome person, persona non grata
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English desirable English undesirable From un- + desirable.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
arzuolunmaz
— objectionable or not likely to please
Bulgarian:
нежела́телен
(neželátelen)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Catalan:
indesitjable
— objectionable or not likely to please
Chinese Mandarin:
不受歡迎的 /不受欢迎的
(bù shòu huānyíng de)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Czech:
nežádoucí
— objectionable or not likely to please
Danish:
uønskelig
— objectionable or not likely to please
Danish:
uønsket
— objectionable or not likely to please
Dutch:
ongewenst
— objectionable or not likely to please
Dutch:
onwenselijk
— objectionable or not likely to please
Finnish:
epämieluinen
— objectionable or not likely to please
Finnish:
epämieluisa
— objectionable or not likely to please
French:
indésirable
— objectionable or not likely to please
Galician:
indesexábel
— objectionable or not likely to please
Georgian:
არასასურველი
(arasasurveli)
— objectionable or not likely to please
German:
unerwünscht
— objectionable or not likely to please
Greek:
ανεπιθύμητος
(anepithýmitos)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Hungarian:
nemkívánatos
— objectionable or not likely to please
Italian:
indesiderabile
— objectionable or not likely to please
Japanese:
望ましくない
(nozomashiku nai)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Japanese:
望まれない
(nozomarenai)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Bokmål:
uønska
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Bokmål:
uønsket
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Bokmål:
uønskt
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Bokmål:
uønskelig
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Nynorsk:
uynskt
— objectionable or not likely to please
Norwegian Nynorsk:
uønskt
— objectionable or not likely to please
Polish:
niepożądany
— objectionable or not likely to please
Portuguese:
indesejável
— objectionable or not likely to please
Romanian:
nedorit
— objectionable or not likely to please
Russian:
нежела́тельный
(neželátelʹnyj)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Spanish:
indeseable
— objectionable or not likely to please
Swedish:
oönskad
— objectionable or not likely to please
Swedish:
icke-önskvärd
— objectionable or not likely to please
Thai:
ไม่พึงประสงค์
(mâi-pʉng-bprà-sǒng)
— objectionable or not likely to please
Esperanto:
nedezirato
— an undesirable person
Finnish:
ei-toivottu
— an undesirable person
Greek:
ανεπιθύμητος
(anepithýmitos)
— an undesirable person
Indonesian:
pengacau
— an undesirable person
Polish:
osoba niepożądana
— an undesirable person
Portuguese:
indesejável
— an undesirable person
Spanish:
indeseable
— an undesirable person
Thai:
บุคคลไม่พึงประสงค์
(bùk-kon-mâi-pʉng-bprà-sǒng)
— an undesirable person