Standard Lemma guide

unfavourable

adj · 7 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

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Serving to hinder or oppose; adverse, disadvantageous, inconducive, unsuitable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: favourable

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not auspicious; ill-boding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inauspicious, unfortunate, down on one's luck, fortuneless, ill-boding, ill-fated, ill-starred, infelicitous, infortunate, hapless, luckless, misadventurous, mischanceful, misfortuned, peak, snakebit, thwart, unchancy, unfavourable, unhappy, unpropitious, unlucky, wanchancy

Antonyms: favourable, fortunate, charmed, fortuitous, freak, happy, lucky, providential, serendipitous, sonsy

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of a belief, state of mind, etc.: not favourable; disapproving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: favourable

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles; not conducive to travel or work; inclement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

(of winds or weather) tending to hinder or oppose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unfavorable winds

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfavorable

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not encouraging or approving or pleasing,

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unfavorable conditions
  • an unfavorable comparison
  • unfavorable comments
  • unfavorable impression

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfavorable

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

not favorable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • made an unfavorable impression
  • unfavorable reviews

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfavorable

Antonyms: none provided

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 favourable English unfavourable From un- + favourable.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: спиращ (spirašt) — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Bulgarian: препятстващ (prepjatstvašt) — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Catalan: desfavorable — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Finnish: epäedullinen — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Finnish: epäsuotuisa — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Hungarian: kedvezőtlen — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Hungarian: hátrányos — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Hungarian: előnytelen — serving to hinder or oppose
  • Bulgarian: неблагоприятен (neblagoprijaten) — not auspicious; ill-boding
  • Finnish: epäsuotuisa — not auspicious; ill-boding
  • Hungarian: baljós — not auspicious; ill-boding
  • Ottoman Turkish: وارون (varun) — not auspicious; ill-boding
  • Finnish: epäsuopea — of a belief or state of mind: not favourable, disapproving
  • Hungarian: kedvezőtlen — of a belief or state of mind: not favourable, disapproving
  • Hungarian: elutasító — of a belief or state of mind: not favourable, disapproving
  • Hungarian: ellenséges — of a belief or state of mind: not favourable, disapproving
  • Hungarian: elítélő — of a belief or state of mind: not favourable, disapproving
  • Armenian: աննպաստ (annpast) — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Bulgarian: неблгоприятен (neblgoprijaten) — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Catalan: desfavorable — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Czech: nepříznivý — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Dutch: ongunstig — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Dutch: niet voordelig — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Finnish: epäsuotuisa — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • French: défavorable — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • German: ungünstig — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Italian: sfavorevole — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Manx: meefoayroil — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Portuguese: desfavorável — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Romanian: nefavorabil — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Russian: неблагоприя́тный (neblagoprijátnyj) — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏пово̄љан — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅpovōljan — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Spanish: desfavorable — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Spanish: no favorable — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
  • Tok Pisin: nogut — of wind or weather: causing delay or obstacles
Real reading context

unfavourable in complete knowledge articles