undesirable
gb/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/ us/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/
B2
Engleză
~ 9200
Sensuri
0 sensuri
adjective
formal
B2
property
1
not wanted because harmful or bad
Not wanted because it is bad, harmful, or causes problems.
Tipar de utilizare:
be undesirable for [someone/something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *"not desirable"* in places where native speakers would more often use *"undesirable"*, especially in formal writing (e.g., *"Smoking is undesirable"* sounds more natural than *"Smoking is not desirable"* in many contexts). They may also confuse *"undesirable"* with *"dislike";* remember that *"undesirable"* describes things that are not wanted, often for objective or practical reasons, not just personal taste.
Sinonime
unwanted (More general and less formal; does not always imply harm.)
|
unpleasant (Focuses more on causing discomfort rather than being harmful or problematic.)
|
harmful (Stronger focus on causing damage, not just being unwelcome.)
Antonime
desirable (Direct opposite; means wanted or attractive.)
|
welcome (Implies that something is gladly received, not merely acceptable.)
Colocații
undesirable outcome
|undesirable behavior
|undesirable effect
|undesirable result
|highly undesirable
|socially undesirable
Teme
evaluations
|daily_life
|society
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- The report warns that rising prices could have undesirable effects on low‑income families.
- Eating late at night is undesirable if you are trying to lose weight.
- Leaving personal data unprotected online is highly undesirable from a security point of view.
- The new law aims to reduce undesirable behavior in crowded city centers.
- They decided that further delays would be undesirable for the project.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Smoking has many undesirable effects on your health.
- The manager thinks it is undesirable to work so many extra hours.
- Loud noise at night is undesirable for people who live nearby.
- Heavy traffic is undesirable in quiet residential streets.
- It is undesirable to share your password with anyone.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
socially or morally not acceptable
Not accepted by society or by a group, often used about people or actions that are not welcome.
Tipar de utilizare:
describe [someone/something] as undesirable
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may use *"bad"* instead of *"undesirable"* when talking about social judgment, but *"undesirable"* sounds more formal and more about being unwelcome than simply morally wrong. Also, calling an individual *"an undesirable"* can sound strong or dehumanizing; in sensitive contexts, it may be better to say *"people who are not welcome"* or similar wording.
Sinonime
unacceptable (General term; does not specifically suggest social judgment about people.)
|
disreputable (Focuses on having a bad reputation in society.)
|
unwelcome (Stresses not being wanted somewhere, often less moral and more situational.)
Antonime
acceptable (Seen as okay or allowed in society or a group.)
|
respectable (Not only acceptable, but also morally or socially approved.)
Colocații
undesirable elements
|socially undesirable
|undesirable neighbors
|undesirable groups
|an undesirable influence
|politically undesirable
Teme
society
|politics
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- The government promised to remove undesirable elements from the city center.
- Some landlords try to avoid renting to people they see as undesirable tenants.
- The club has the right to refuse entry to anyone considered undesirable.
- They argued that the policy would keep out socially undesirable groups.
- He was labeled an undesirable influence on younger students.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The police want to keep undesirable people away from the stadium.
- The company does not want any undesirable media attention.
- They see drug dealers as undesirable members of the community.
- The school tries to stop undesirable behavior among students.
- Some countries refuse visas to people they call undesirable.
Substantiv
formal
C1
entity
3
person seen as socially unwelcome
A person who is not wanted or accepted by a group, community, or government.
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone] is considered an undesirable
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may not realize that using *"an undesirable"* for a person can sound very negative or dehumanizing. It is common in news or historical texts but can be offensive in everyday conversation. In speech, it is often better to describe the situation more neutrally, such as *"people who are not welcome"* or *"people the government does not want"*.
Sinonime
outcast (Focuses on being rejected by society; can be less bureaucratic and more emotional.)
|
undesirable element (Refers to a person or group seen as a negative presence in a place or community.)
|
persona non grata (Formal and often diplomatic; specifically a person who is officially not welcome.)
Antonime
valued member (Emphasizes being wanted and appreciated by a group.)
|
welcome guest (Shows social acceptance and positive reception, the opposite of being undesirable.)
Colocații
an undesirable
|undesirables
|classed as undesirables
|label someone an undesirable
|expel undesirables
Teme
society
|politics
|law
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- During the crackdown, many political activists were branded undesirables and deported.
- The regime treated journalists as undesirables who threatened public order.
- After the incident, he quickly became an undesirable in his former social circle.
- Authorities claimed they were simply removing undesirables from the tourist areas.
- The new rules make it easier for officials to label migrants as undesirables.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The government called some refugees undesirables.
- In that town, people who are homeless are often seen as undesirables.
- After the scandal, she felt like an undesirable at work.
- They want to move all the so‑called undesirables out of the city center.
- The club says it has the right to refuse undesirables.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
undesirable
IPA
GB/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/
US/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/
Silabe și accent
un - desir - able (3 silabe)
Stress on 3rd syllable (able)
Forme ale cuvântului
Adjective
- Base: undesirable
Noun
- Base: undesirable
- Plural: undesirables
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
undesirables
noun
Related words
desirability
noun C1
desirably
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
undesirability
noun
undesirably
adverb
Advanced or less common
desirous
adjective B2
Expresii
classed as undesirable
1/klˈæst ˈæz ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/
fixed phrase
formal
officially categorized as unwelcome
Officially said to be not welcome or not acceptable, often by a government or organization.
Exemple
- Many political opponents were classed as undesirable and denied entry to the country.
- Certain breeds of dogs are classed as undesirable under the new law.
- Applicants with a criminal record may be classed as undesirable by some landlords.
socially undesirable
1/sˈoʊʃəli ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl/
fixed phrase
formal
not accepted by society
Not accepted or approved by most people in a society.
Exemple
- Smoking in public places has become socially undesirable in many countries.
- The campaign aims to make drunk driving socially undesirable.
- Certain forms of discrimination are now widely seen as socially undesirable.
undesirable consequences
1/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl kˈɑnsəkwˌɛnsɪz/
fixed phrase
negative results that are not wanted
Bad results of an action or decision that people did not want to happen.
Exemple
- Cutting the budget too quickly could have undesirable consequences for public services.
- The new technology may bring benefits but also some undesirable consequences.
- They warned that ignoring the problem would lead to undesirable consequences later.
undesirable elements
1/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl ˈɛləmənts/
fixed phrase
formal
people seen as harmful or unwelcome
People or groups that authorities or local people do not want in a place, because they think they are harmful or cause problems.
Exemple
- The authorities say the new law will help remove undesirable elements from the neighborhood.
- Some fear that the policy will be used to target political opponents as undesirable elements.
- The mayor promised to crack down on what he called undesirable elements in the city center.
undesirable side effects
1/ˌʌndɪzˈaɪɹəbəl sˈaɪd ɪfˈɛkts/
fixed phrase
side effects that are not wanted
Extra effects of a medicine, action, or change that are not wanted, because they are bad or harmful.
Exemple
- This medicine may cause undesirable side effects such as headaches or nausea.
- The policy change could have undesirable side effects on small businesses.
- They are testing a new drug that has fewer undesirable side effects.