PoliticsAugust 22, 2026

unpalatable

un-PAL-uh-tuh-bul

Definition

Difficult to tolerate, accept, or agree to; unpleasant.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'un-' (not) combined with 'palatable,' which comes from the Medieval Latin 'palatabilis,' meaning agreeable to the palate or sense of taste.

In the news

The article uses the word to describe the harsh economic decisions lawmakers face as the national debt rises. These choices are called unpalatable because they will likely require unpopular tax increases or spending cuts.

As debt surpasses $40 trillion, the bill for Washington spending comes due

Read the full article ↗

The Washington Post

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.