unbecoming
/ʌnbɪˈkʌmɪŋ
/adjective
1(Especially of clothing or a colour) not flattering: a stout lady in an unbecoming striped sundress...
- Without giving approval, Prudie will tell you what a friend in a similar situation does: Every year she picks out a piece of clothing that is unbecoming and one size too small.
- I snickered as I watched Travers become an unbecoming shade of red.
- You tell me in the car that my red fingernail polish is unbecoming.
Synonyms
unflattering, unattractive, unsightly, plain, ugly, ugly-looking, hideous;
unsuitable, unsuited, ill-suited
2(Of behaviour) not fitting or appropriate; unseemly: it was unbecoming for a university to do anything so crass as advertising its wares...
- They maintain that Irving's conduct was unbecoming of a reputable historian.
- Opinion columnists, meanwhile, busied themselves penning snide articles about Trollope, admonishing her for behaviour unbecoming of a grandmother of two.
- This behaviour is inexcusable and unbecoming of a registered medical practitioner.
Synonyms
inappropriate, unfitting, unbefitting, unsuitable, unsuited, ill-suited, inapt, out of keeping, untoward, incorrect, unacceptable;
unworthy of;
improper, lacking in propriety, indecorous, unseemly, unladylike, ungentlemanly, unmannerly, undignified, indelicate, indecent, tasteless
Derivatives
unbecomingly
- Days later, the Caricom summit's opening session heard Mr Manning's recriminations, unbecomingly and unhelpfully directed at former regional beneficiaries of T & T largesse.
- Even very senior officers can beguiled into behaving unbecomingly, cruelly, and destructively while believing they are acting in the best tradition of the service.
- But when I'm in a hurry, I trip unbecomingly over anything that's in my way.
unbecomingness
- And for the same reason, the unbecomingness of that which is hated is felt more keenly than the becomingness of that which is loved.
- She deliberated the possible unbecomingness of her conduct no further.
- At this hour all will suspend or interrupt whatever they are doing if they can do so without unbecomingness.
- well-orchestrated
- well-order
- well ordered
- well-ordering
- well organised
- well organized
- well-paced
- well-packed
- well packing
- well-padded
- well paid
- well-painted
- well-paired
- well-paved
- well-paying
- well-penned
- well-peopled
- well pipe
- well placed
- well planned
- well-planted
- well plate
- well pleased
- well-pleasedness
- well-pleasing