unstylish

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʌnˈstaɪlɪʃ/ UK /ʌnˈstaɪlɪʃ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not fashionable; lacking style

He wore an unstylish but comfortable old coat.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not fashionable; lacking style unfashionable dowdyfrumpyinelegant outdated drab

Opposites

stylish fashionable chic elegant

Word family

Derived forms unstylishlyunstylishness

Related forms style stylish

Etymology

From un- ('not') + stylish, from style, from Old French stile, from Latin stilus ('stake, writing instrument, manner of writing').

un- Old English stilus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unstylish

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

## Meanings
1. not fashionable; lacking style

## Examples
- He wore an unstylish but comfortable old coat.

## Synonyms
- unfashionable
- dowdy
- frumpy
- inelegant
- outdated
- drab

## Antonyms
- stylish
- fashionable
- chic
- elegant

## Derived Forms
- unstylishly
- unstylishness

## Related Forms
- style
- stylish

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

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + stylish, from style, from Old French stile, from Latin stilus ('stake, writing instrument, manner of writing').

## AI Etymology
Unstylish comes from un- ('not') + stylish, from style, from Old French stile, from Latin stilus ('stake, writing instrument, manner of writing'). In current use it is an adjective meaning "not fashionable; lacking style". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The prefix un- is negative or privative, marking the absence, denial, or opposite of the base idea. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The historical chain includes Old English un- and Latin stilus. Related English forms include style and stylish. Derived forms include unstylishly and unstylishness. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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