disagreeable

disagreeable — adjective

1. Something that is disagreeable gives you an uncomfortable or bad feeling, often

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Something that is disagreeable gives you an uncomfortable or bad feeling, often because of the way it tastes, smells, sounds, or feels.

Example

The medicine had a disagreeable taste that made Mert want to spit it out.

disagreeable + taste / smell / sound — sensory unpleasantness

Lakshmi found the sound of the dripping tap most disagreeable at night.

Common collocations
  • disagreeable taste
  • disagreeable smell / odor
  • disagreeable sound / noise
  • disagreeable weather
  • disagreeable task / job / chore
  • disagreeable experience
  • disagreeable sensation
Synonyms
  • unpleasant

    more general and common in everyday speech; disagreeable is more formal

  • nasty

    more informal and emotionally stronger, often suggesting disgust or harm

  • offensive

    implies causing anger or resentment, especially by violating social norms

  • objectionable

    suggests something people would reasonably complain about or reject

Antonyms
  • pleasant

    the direct opposite — giving a good feeling

  • agreeable

    the etymological opposite; shared root with 'disagreeable'

Grammar Patterns

disagreeable + noun

be + disagreeable

find + noun + disagreeable

Usage Note

Most often describes sensory experiences (taste, smell, sound) or physical conditions (weather, work). For describing someone's rude or unfriendly nature, see sense 2.

Common Mistakes

The soup had a disagree taste.
The soup had a disagreeable taste.
'disagree' is a verb; the adjective form adds '-able'.

2. A person who is disagreeable tends to be rude, unfriendly, and in a bad mood whe

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

A person who is disagreeable tends to be rude, unfriendly, and in a bad mood when they deal with other people.

Example

The new manager was so disagreeable that the staff avoided asking her any questions.

so + disagreeable + that-clause — expressing degree

When Pedro asked for directions, the shopkeeper gave a disagreeable reply and walked away.

Common collocations
  • disagreeable person / man / woman
  • disagreeable manner
  • disagreeable attitude
  • disagreeable tone
  • disagreeable mood
  • disagreeable disposition
  • disagreeable character
Synonyms
  • rude

    describes specific behavior rather than general character; more common in everyday speech

  • unfriendly

    less strong than disagreeable; simply means not warm or kind toward others

  • ill-tempered

    similar in formality, but focuses more on frequent anger than on rudeness

  • surly

    suggests a silent, grumpy unfriendliness; less common in American English

Antonyms
  • friendly

    the everyday opposite — warm and pleasant in manner

  • agreeable

    the formal opposite — pleasant and easy to deal with

Grammar Patterns

disagreeable + noun (person / manner / tone)

be + disagreeable

become / grow + disagreeable

Usage Note

Describes a person's general character, not a single instance of bad behavior. If someone is rude once, call them 'rude'; if they are consistently unpleasant, use 'disagreeable'.

Common Mistakes

He was disagreeable with my opinion.
He disagreed with my opinion.
'disagreeable' describes a person's mood; 'disagree' is the verb for having a different opinion.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Unpleasant is the most general and widely used word for anything that causes a bad feeling, from a taste to a conversation. Nasty is more informal and carries stronger emotional weight, often suggesting something actively disgusting or harmful — a nasty cut, a nasty remark. Offensive goes further by implying the thing violates social norms or causes personal insult, so it is often used for language or behavior rather than sensory experiences. Objectionable sits closest to disagreeable in formality and suggests something that a reasonable person would want to complain about or reject — a clause in a contract, a comment in a meeting. For example, cold soup is 'unpleasant,' spoiled meat has a 'nasty' smell, a racist joke is 'offensive,' and a biased policy is 'objectionable.' Disagreeable can cover any of these situations but is less intense than any of the alternatives, making it a good choice when you want a formal tone without strong emotion.

unpleasant ↗nasty ↗offensive ↗objectionable ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • rather disagreeable
  • quite disagreeable
  • extremely disagreeable
  • somewhat disagreeable
  • particularly disagreeable
  • thoroughly disagreeable

Phrases

  • find someone/something disagreeable

Prepositions

  • disagreeable to

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Disagreeable was formed in the 15th century by adding the suffix '-able' to the verb 'disagree,' which itself came from Old French 'desagreer' (des- 'not' + agreer 'to please'). The original sense was 'not pleasing to the senses or mind.' The meaning of a rude or bad-tempered person developed later, in the 16th century, extending the idea of 'not pleasing' from things to people's character.