Unattractive means not pleasing or appealing to look at, or lacking qualities that draw positive attention. When something is unattractive, it doesn't catch your eye in a good way. An unattractive building might have peeling paint, broken windows, and trash piled around it. An unattractive outfit might combine clashing colors or ill-fitting pieces that just don't work together.

The word isn't limited to physical appearance. An idea can be unattractive if it seems unpleasant or undesirable. A job offer might be unattractive because it requires too many hours for too little pay. A plan to spend Saturday cleaning out the garage is probably less attractive than going to the park with friends.

Notice that what seems unattractive to one person might appeal to another. You might find a particular style of music unattractive while your friend loves it. What matters most is understanding that when we call something unattractive, we're describing our response to it: it simply doesn't appeal to us.

The opposite of unattractive is attractive, meaning pleasing or appealing. But remember that many things are neither particularly attractive nor unattractive; they just fall somewhere in the middle, like a plain pencil or an ordinary sidewalk.