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# undesirable

adjective (undesirable); noun (an undesirable, undesirables — old, rude)

«undesirable» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Not wanted because it is bad, harmful or unpleasant: undesirable side effects. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#m1)
2. (formal) Not suitable or not good to have or do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#m2)
3. (noun, old-fashioned, unkind) A person thought to be unwanted in a place. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#m3)

### In the lessons

In science and health: undesirable side effects of a medicine, undesirable weeds. In formal writing and exams: «It is undesirable to …» means «It is not a good idea to …». Phrases: «undesirable effects», «highly undesirable».

### Examples

- Weeds are undesirable plants in a vegetable patch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x1)
- The medicine can have undesirable side effects like sleepiness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x2)
- Leaving food out overnight is undesirable because germs grow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x3)
- It is undesirable for pupils to run in the corridors. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x4)
- Noise from the road was an undesirable part of living there. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x5)
- The club tried to keep out undesirable visitors. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x6)
- So unhappy was she that she spent all her time wondering how she should get rid of her undesirable husband. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/#x7)

### Note

Takes «an». Formal and stronger than «not wanted». Calling people «undesirables» is rude and unkind. Opposite: desirable.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «undesirable» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/undesirable/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«undesirable» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/undesirable.html) on Mova free.