unacceptable

adjective

ˌən-ik-ˈsep-tə-bəl How to pronounce unacceptable (audio)
Definition of unacceptablenext
as in wrong
falling short of a standard this work is entirely unacceptable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unacceptable Radev has said that such attacks are unacceptable and that Bulgaria will continue to investigate the attacks together with its EU and NATO allies to establish the truth. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 City leaders reacted immediately, saying the revelations about the department’s culture were unacceptable and pledging to swiftly investigate and root out the systemic racism. — Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 The money had to come from somewhere, and Villivalam helped put the kibosh on some truly unacceptable proposals that surfaced in the House — particularly a tax on the unrealized gains of Illinois billionaires. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 With a team that has a margin of error as small as the Dolphins, these penalties are unacceptable. — Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unacceptable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unacceptable
  1. wrong
  2. poor
  3. lame
  4. bad
  5. horrible
  6. terrible
  7. deficient
  8. awful
Adjective
  • Its argument is that insurers have been pricing wildfire risk the wrong way, by looking backward at statistics and sorting homes by zip code.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The trailer begins as Ziegler’s Mae frantically asks family friend Benny, played by a sleepy Rob Lowe, for help after her big mistake — kissing the wrong brother between Graham Phillips’ Andrew and Elias Kacavas’ Theo.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Blumenthal hopes to see action on KOSA in the lame-duck session.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Only to see them, after winning elections, get strong-armed by the party, then offer lame excuses as to why.
    — Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.
    — Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
  • After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.
    — Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • The second storyline takes place in 2026 and concerns the murder of none other than Hal Jordan, who returned to Rushville as a social pariah after the terrible events that transpired 10 years before.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles are struggling, the Cowboys look terrible, and the Giants don’t have a quarterback.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • The travel investigation doesn't establish that the firm's engineering designs were deficient and nothing in the records independently establishes that the performance adjustment was improper.
    — Tyler Horst, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There’s lots of neutral hues available but the sunny yellow will brighten up any window-deficient bathroom.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • Jake Bauers has been awful for most of his career, but graduated in 2018 as a top-50 prospect.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Trailing 12-0 after its awful start, BC scored the next 14 points, jumping in front on McKenzie’s 11-yard score to Javarius Green.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful

Browse Nearby Words

unacceptability
unacceptable
unacceptably
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Cite this Entry

“Unacceptable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unacceptable. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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