Unpresentable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Regarded as unsuitable for display or showing due to its unattractive or disheveled appearance or condition
2. Described as being in a state that is not fit for presentation because of its poor aesthetic or quality
3. Considered inadequate or improper for display because it looks untidy or unpleasant

Etymology: "Unpresentable" is a plain formation: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "presentable", which itself comes from "present" in the sense of putting something before someone for viewing, with the suffix "-able" meaning "capable of being". So a presentable thing is one fit to be shown or put before others, and an unpresentable one is judged unfit for that kind of display. The core idea is social rather than physical. Something unpresentable is not merely ugly or broken but unsuitable to be seen by others, which is why the word is often applied to a person's appearance, a document, or a room that has not been tidied before guests arrive. The negative prefix does the work here, turning a standard of acceptability into its opposite.

Synonyms: unacceptable, unsuitable, improper

Antonyms: presentable, acceptable, suitable