unsociable

unsociable
unsociable, unsocial
Like the positive forms (see sociable, social), unsocial is a classifying word that essentially means ‘not suitable for society’ (and has the special sense denoting hours outside the normal working day), whereas unsociable is a more judgemental word referring to people (primarily) who dislike the company of others. To complete the picture, antisocial is sometimes used in the same way as unsociable, but properly means ‘contrary to or harmful to the social order’ (with reference to people and activities) and is therefore a much stronger word with more sinister implications.

Modern English usage. 2014.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Unsociable — Un*so cia*ble, a. Not sociable; not inclined to society; averse to companionship or conversation; solitary; reserved; as, an unsociable person or temper. {Un*so cia*ble*ness}, n. {Un*so cia*bly}, adv. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • unsociable — index disdainful, taciturn, unapproachable, unresponsive Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • unsociable — UK US /ʌnˈsəʊʃəbl/ adjective WORKPLACE, HR ► UNSOCIAL(Cf. ↑unsocial) …   Financial and business terms

  • unsociable — c.1600, from UN (Cf. un ) (1) not + SOCIABLE (Cf. sociable) …   Etymology dictionary

  • unsociable — [adj] unfriendly aloof, antagonistic, brooding, cold, cool, distant, easy going, hostile, inaccessible, inhospitable, introverted, laidback*, nongregarious, recessive, reclusive, reserved, retiring, secretive, sensitive, shy, standoffish*, stuck… …   New thesaurus

  • unsociable — ► ADJECTIVE 1) not enjoying the company of others. 2) not conducive to friendly social relations …   English terms dictionary

  • unsociable — [unsō′shə bəl] adj. 1. avoiding association with others; not sociable or friendly 2. not conducive to sociability unsociability n. unsociableness unsociably adv …   English World dictionary

  • unsociable — [[t]ʌnso͟ʊʃəb(ə)l[/t]] ADJ GRADED Someone who is unsociable does not like talking to other people and tries to avoid meeting them. My marriage has broken up. It has made me reclusive and unsociable... I am by no means an unsociable person. Ant:… …   English dictionary

  • unsociable — adjective not enjoying the company of others. ↘not conducive to friendly social relations. Derivatives unsociability noun unsociableness noun unsociably adverb Usage Although there is some overlap in the use of unsociable, unsocial, and… …   English new terms dictionary

  • unsociable — un|so|cia|ble [ ʌn souʃəbl ] adjective 1. ) not interested in meeting people or doing things with other people 2. ) BRITISH an unsociable job is one in which you have to work at unusual times of the day so that you do not have much time to spend… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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