disagreeable: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal and informal, though more common in written and formal spoken contexts than casual speech.
Quick answer
What does “disagreeable” mean?
Unpleasant, not nice, or causing annoyance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Unpleasant, not nice, or causing annoyance.
Refers to a person who is bad-tempered, unfriendly, or to a situation, sensation, or task that is offensive or objectionable. It can also imply a quality of being contrary or difficult to deal with.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slightly more frequent in British English.
Connotations
In British English, it can sometimes be used as a polite or restrained way to describe something or someone very unpleasant.
Frequency
More common in British English corpus data, but well-understood and used in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “disagreeable” in a Sentence
find someone/something disagreeablebe disagreeable to someonebe in a disagreeable moodVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disagreeable” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The verb is 'disagree'. 'Disagreeable' is not a verb.
American English
- The verb is 'disagree'. 'Disagreeable' is not a verb.
adverb
British English
- The adverb is 'disagreeably'. 'He smiled disagreeably.'
American English
- The adverb is 'disagreeably'. 'The food was disagreeably salty.'
adjective
British English
- He's a thoroughly disagreeable old codger.
- The hotel had a disagreeable damp smell.
American English
- She was in a disagreeable mood after the meeting.
- It's a disagreeable chore, but someone has to do it.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'The client's disagreeable attitude made negotiations very difficult.'
Academic
'The experiment yielded some disagreeable but necessary data on toxicity.'
Everyday
'I had the most disagreeable task of cleaning the gutters this weekend.'
Technical
Rarely used in highly technical contexts, except perhaps in psychology or sociology describing traits.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “disagreeable”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “disagreeable”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disagreeable”
- Using it to mean 'in disagreement' (e.g., 'He was disagreeable with the plan' is incorrect).
- Overusing in casual speech where 'unpleasant' or 'annoying' is more natural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Disagreeable' is stronger and more personal than 'unpleasant'. It often implies an active quality that offends or causes aversion, while 'unpleasant' is more general for something not pleasing.
Yes, it's commonly used for sensory experiences that are offensive or objectionable (e.g., a disagreeable odour, a disagreeable aftertaste).
It is used in both formal and informal contexts but is more frequent in writing and careful speech. In very casual conversation, people might use 'nasty', 'horrible', or 'annoying' instead.
The related noun is 'disagreeableness'. However, it's quite formal. More common nouns would be 'unpleasantness' or simply using the adjective with a noun (e.g., 'his disagreeable nature').
Unpleasant, not nice, or causing annoyance.
Disagreeable: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.əˈɡriː.ə.bəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.əˈɡri.ə.bəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A necessary evil (related concept, for an unpleasant but required task).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS + AGREE + ABLE. If something is NOT (DIS) able to be AGREED with or liked (ABLE), it is unpleasant.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL HARMONY IS AGREEMENT / PLEASANTNESS IS AGREEABLE (Therefore, unpleasantness is a state of disagreement).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'disagreeable' CORRECTLY?