Standard Lemma guide

undesirable

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
Real reading context

undesirable in complete knowledge articles