adj · adv · 3 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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CMU ARPABET:AH0 N S IY1 M L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Inconsistent with established standards of good form or taste.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He was drunk and made some very unseemly comments.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unbecoming, indecorous
Antonyms: seemly
2
adv
Meaning 2
In an unseemly manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English unsemli, probably a partial calque of Old Norse úsǽmiligr (“unseemly”); equivalent to un- + seemly. Cognate with Icelandic ósæmileg (“offensive”), Norwegian usømmelig (“unseemly”), Danish usømmelig (“unseemly”), German unziemlich.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
неприличен
(nepriličen)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Bulgarian:
непристоен
(nepristoen)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Chinese Mandarin:
不体面的
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Czech:
nevhodný
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Danish:
upassende
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Danish:
usømmelig
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Dutch:
ongepast
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Dutch:
onbetamelijk
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Dutch:
onbehoorlijk
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Dutch:
onfatsoenlijk
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Esperanto:
maldeca
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Esperanto:
malkonvena
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Estonian:
ebaviisakas
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Estonian:
näotu
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Finnish:
sopimaton
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
French:
malséant
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Galician:
impropio
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
German:
unpassend
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
German:
unangebracht
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
German:
unschicklich
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
German:
unziemlich
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ancient Greek:
ἀπρεπής
(aprepḗs)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ancient Greek:
ἀεικής
(aeikḗs)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ancient Greek:
ἀσχήμων
(askhḗmōn)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Hindi:
अशोभनीय
(aśobhnīya)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Hindi:
अनुचित
(anucit)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ido:
desdecanta
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ido:
nedecanta
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Italian:
inappropriato
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Italian:
indecoroso
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Italian:
indicibile
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Italian:
irripetibile
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Latvian:
nepieklājīgs
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Latvian:
nepiedienīgs
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Māori:
hake
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Norwegian Bokmål:
upassende
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Polish:
nieodpowiedni
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Polish:
niewłaściwy
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Polish:
niestosowny
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Portuguese:
impróprio
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Russian:
неуместный
(neumestnyj)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Russian:
непристойный
(nepristojnyj)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Russian:
неподоба́ющий
(nepodobájuščij)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Scottish Gaelic:
mì-innealta
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Scottish Gaelic:
mì-cheanalta
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Spanish:
inapropiado
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Spanish:
extemporal
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Spanish:
extemporáneo
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Spanish:
impropio
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Spanish:
desubicado
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Swedish:
opassande
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Ukrainian:
ненале́жний
(nenaléžnyj)
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
Welsh:
anweddus
— inconsistent with standards, etc.
