unprepossessing

English

Etymology

un- +‎ prepossessing

Adjective

unprepossessing (comparative more unprepossessing, superlative most unprepossessing)

1. Unimpressive or unremarkable; dull and ordinary; nondescript.
   • 1838, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sylph Etherege:

     One of these unseen observers, a gentleman, was youthful, and had an air of high breeding and refinement, and a face marked with intellect, though otherwise of unprepossessing aspect.

   • 1902, Myrtle Reed, chapter 4, in At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern:

     She drew up a chamois-skin bag, of an unprepossessing mouse colour, and emptied out a roll of bills.

   • 1960 December, “The Hastings Line diesel-electric multiple units”, in Trains Illustrated, page 732:

     In a review of operating experience with the Southern Region diesel-electric multiple-units on the Hastings line, read to the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in October, Mr. W. J. A. Sykes, Mechanical & Electrical Engineer of the S.R., revealed how the somehat unprepossessing appearance of these train sets came about.

   • 2017 January 12, Andy Webster, “Movie Review: Horses Under the Hood?”, in New York Times, retrieved 15 January 2017:

     Sometimes movies with the most unprepossessing titles can surprise you. Case in point: “Monster Trucks,” a spry, spirited and delightful family film.

Derived terms

• unprepossessingly
• unprepossessingness

Translations

unimpressive or unremarkable; dull and ordinary; nondescript.

• Dutch: saai (nl), onopmerkelijk (nl), ordinair (nl),
• French: monotone (fr), banal (fr), ordinaire (fr), médiocre (fr)
• Irish: míghnaíúil
• Ukrainian: непоказний m (nepokaznyj), непривабливий m (nepryvablyvyj), не справляти враження (ne spravljaty vražennja)

References

• “unprepossessing”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.