unseemly

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈsimli/ UK /ʌnˈsiːmli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not in good taste or proper; indecorous

There was an unseemly scramble for the last seats.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not in good taste or... indecorous improper unbecoming indecentunbefittinginappropriate

Opposites

seemly decorous proper becoming decent

Word family

Forms unseemliness

Derived forms unseemliness

Related forms seemly seem

Etymology

From Middle English unsemely, from un- ('not') + semely ('seemly'), from Old Norse sœmiligr ('fitting, becoming'), from sœma ('to honor, conform to').

un- Old English sœmiligr Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unseemly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ʌnˈsimli/
**IPA (UK):** /ʌnˈsiːmli/

## Meanings
1. not in good taste or proper; indecorous

## Examples
- There was an unseemly scramble for the last seats.

## Synonyms
- indecorous
- improper
- unbecoming
- indecent
- unbefitting
- inappropriate

## Antonyms
- seemly
- decorous
- proper
- becoming
- decent

## Derived Forms
- unseemliness

## Related Forms
- seemly
- seem

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: sœmiligr

## Etymology
From Middle English unsemely, from un- ('not') + semely ('seemly'), from Old Norse sœmiligr ('fitting, becoming'), from sœma ('to honor, conform to').

## AI Etymology
Unseemly comes from Middle English unsemely, from un- ('not') + semely ('seemly'), from Old Norse sœmiligr ('fitting, becoming'), from sœma ('to honor, conform to'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As an adjective and adverb, it carries the sense "not in good taste or proper; indecorous", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old English un- and Old Norse sœmiligr. Derivative forms include unseemliness; related words include seemly, seem.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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