Unenviable Meaning
/əˈnɛˌnviəbəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjDifficult, undesirable, or unpleasant; not to be envied.
Sentence Examples
He was given the unenviable task of telling the team the bad news.
To be in an unenviable position means to be in an unpleasant one.
The manager had the unenviable task of firing three employees.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The human resources manager had the ____ job of laying off many beloved employees.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was given the ____ task of telling the team that the project had been cancelled due to lack of funds today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable English unenviable From un- + enviable.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There might be a 'train captain' on board, as on the Docklands Light Railway, but this would be an unenviable role on our packed Tube: the train captain would be condemned to live in a permanent rush hour."
— 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 277:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The human resources manager had the ____ job of laying off many beloved employees.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was given the ____ task of telling the team that the project had been cancelled due to lack of funds today.