unenviable

adjective

un·​en·​vi·​able ˌən-ˈen-vē-ə-bəl How to pronounce unenviable (audio)
: not desirable or pleasant : not arousing envy : not enviable
an unenviable position
Kent Alterman, our director, had the unenviable task of herding cats.Will Ferrell

Examples of unenviable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On June 18th, the Karen Read saga finally lurched to its inevitable end, when a Norfolk County jury, assigned the unenviable task of spending spring and early summer watching corruption theater in Dedham court, acquitted Ms. Read of all the serious charges against her. Tom Blakely, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025 In office, Lee must contend with an unenviable pile of problems. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 4 June 2025 But that popularity comes with an unenviable side effect. Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 30 May 2025 For a school that plays the part with unenviable periodicity, this one might be the hardest. Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unenviable

Word History

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unenviable was in 1641

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Cite this Entry

“Unenviable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unenviable. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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