- Today's Word
Unprepossessing
un-pree-puh-ZESS-ing
Definition
(adjective) Not attractive or impressive in appearance.
Example
Though unprepossessing at first glance, the restaurant had incredible food.
Fun Fact
Despite its long-winded look, unprepossessing is often used for things that don’t stand out at first—but might surprise you later. It’s frequently used in restaurant reviews, character descriptions, or travel writing, where something modest turns out to be memorable. The irony? The word itself isn’t very prepossessing—but its specificity gives it staying power.
(verb) To obtain something by persuasion, scheming, or clever manipulation.
He managed to wangle an invitation to the exclusive event through a friend of a friend.
Late 19th century: originally printers’ slang, possibly an alteration of “waggle” meaning “to move unsteadily,” suggesting indirect or roundabout methods.