unseemly
unseemly Lexical Profile
unseemly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not proper or in good taste; contrary to accepted standards of decorum, conduct, or social propriety.
"The committee members felt that their colleagues' public argument was an unseemly display of temper."
• adverb
In an improper, indecorous, or unbecoming manner.
"He behaved unseemly during the solemn ceremony, drawing disapproving glances from the audience."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although ending in '-ly', 'unseemly' functions primarily as an adjective in modern English (e.g., 'unseemly haste'); its adverbial use is relatively rare and typically replaced in contemporary prose by 'in an unseemly manner'.
• Rhymes for unseemly
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'unsemeli', modeled on Old Norse 'usœmiligr', combining the privative prefix 'un-' with 'seemly' (from Old Norse 'sœmiligr', meaning 'becoming' or 'fitting').