unacceptably

adverb

1
as in overly
beyond a normal or acceptable limit the ski lodge was unacceptably cold

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way she does her chores quickly but usually unacceptably

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 unacceptably But the overall result would be unacceptably slow service for passengers waiting for pick-up, for example. — Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Much like the Women’s Health Initiative, the HABITS trial – along with a similar study called the Stockholm Trial – gained much attention by suggesting that menopausal hormone therapy was unacceptably risky for breast cancer survivors. — Versha Pleasant, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 The Falcons were some unacceptably bad special teams plays away from winning the division last season. — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026 For those not familiar with the term, anti-natalism is a philosophical stance that views life as unacceptably full of suffering and procreation as a morally indefensible thing. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 July 2026 That was relegated to the basement, where the unacceptably bleak bathroom stood. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 10 June 2026 Pandemic learning loss in California was among the highest in the nation, and recovery efforts have been unacceptably slow. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026 The mayor and the City Council have been warned for years that these shortcomings were leaving the city unacceptably vulnerable to the very kind of emergency that wiped out my home, killed 12 of my neighbors and burned 7,000 additional structures. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026 The company is keeping a particularly close eye on the potential for unacceptably high wind speeds. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unacceptably
  1. overly
  2. poorly
  3. too
  4. bad
  5. excessively
  6. badly
Adverb
  • Buzz with Good Night Package – not exactly an overly compelling way to kick off the official VW electric camper van era but a safe one with little downside.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Looking at their wins, there really weren't any that were overly impressive, either.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of overly
Adverb
  • The children did not attend school, were fed poorly and did not receive medical attention even if injured or sick, according to the report.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The treadmill feeling does not necessarily mean a company is using AI poorly.
    — Mark Lewis, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Aside from happy love affairs that usually turn into friendships, there might seem from the outside to be too little family in my life.
    — Gloria Steinem, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The slouchy, mockneck sweater is back again, this time with plenty of cropped and cardigan options, too.
    — Jordan Julian, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of too
Adverb
  • Another would be to coat your thumbs with a bad-tasting substance.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of bad
Adverb
  • These approaches either failed to provide sufficient grip or stretched excessively under rotation.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Within that, the specific element of the tracking data which makes batting so tough is the inconsistency of bounce, with a large number of deliveries either spitting (bouncing excessively) or scooting (bouncing far less than anticipated).
    — Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of excessively
Adverb
  • Loop’s status has been a hot-button issue around the team after his badly missed 44-yard field goal in Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season kept the Ravens out of the playoffs and accelerated the end of the John Harbaugh era.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Barely a week goes by without another story about rogue agents or models behaving badly.
    — Don Schuerman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of badly

Browse Nearby Words

unacceptable
unacceptably
unacclimated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unacceptably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unacceptably. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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