Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Not in accord with accepted standards of decency or morality.
- adjective Not suited to the circumstances; inappropriate.
- adjective Unattractive; unsightly.
- adverb In an improper or inappropriate manner.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Not seemly; not fit or becoming; uncomely; unbecoming; indecent; improper.
- Synonyms Unmeet, unfit, indecorous.
- In an unseemly manner; indecently; unbecomingly; improperly.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Not seemly; unbecoming; indecent.
- adverb In an unseemly manner.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Inconsistent with establishedstandards ofgood form ortaste .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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a pure skin, and had only roused in him an unseemly delight in his own cleanness -- _unseemly_, for it was such that he paid no heed to the
Unspoken Sermons Series I., II., and II. George MacDonald 1864
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President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday expressed deep concern over what he called the unseemly squabble that had broken out over SAA's former CEO Coleman Andrews.
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Yoj refused to look at anyone but Mill, afraid she would laugh, too, both from horror and in unseemly jubilation at Dodd's defense.
SKENE: CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Maggie Jochild 2007
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He had no sense of incongruity to make the phrase unseemly or ludicrous.
The Puritans Arlo Bates 1884
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Or worse, if they engage in unseemly bargains to buy individual Senators’ votes with measures against the public interest ….
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I know some of you are drooling, very unseemly, that is the part of the lions! cyndieking
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If the ordinary course of the law is to be described as unseemly retribution, then all justice asks too severe a sacrifice of our self-love.
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I do not recall the unseemly invasion of privacy visited upon Dr Tshabalala-Msimang or the glee with which her initial illness was greeted by the commercial media and opposition parties being visited upon either of these two men or their families.
ANC Today 2007
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I do not recall the unseemly invasion of privacy visited upon
ANC Today 2007
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Certainly not Romney, does anyone else recall the unseemly haste he made to Boston to shoulder Jingle Money Swift aside when Christy Mihos showed him a favorable poll?
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