Unpleasant

How to spell unpleasant

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce unpleasant

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does unpleasant mean?

1. adjectiveCausing discomfort, displeasure, or distaste; not agreeable.

Unpleasant in a sentence

• The medicine left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

• A damp, unpleasant smell came from the basement.

Where does unpleasant come from?

Language of origin: French

This word is built from the negative prefix un-, an old Germanic element meaning 'not', attached to 'pleasant'. The base adjective came into English in the 1300s from Old French plaisant, the present participle of plaisir 'to please', which in turn descends from the Latin placere, meaning 'to be agreeable' or 'to give satisfaction'. By prefixing un-, English speakers simply reversed the sense to mean 'not agreeable'. The combination of a native English prefix with a French-derived root is a very common pattern, and the same placere root survives in relatives such as 'placid', 'please', and 'placate'. The spelling trap lies in the middle: the 'ea' is pronounced as a short 'e', so 'pleas-' is easily misheard and miswritten.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• pleasant (agreeable, from Old French plaisant)