tasteless

tasteless — adjective

1. If something you say or do is tasteless, it offends people because it shows you

1.形容詞B2
釋義

If something you say or do is tasteless, it offends people because it shows you do not understand what is appropriate in a serious or sensitive situation.

例句

Pim told a tasteless joke about the accident, and everyone in the room fell silent.

tasteless joke — common collocation for offensive humour

Rafael's tasteless remarks about his colleague's divorce created an awkward atmosphere at the office.

同義詞
  • offensive

    stronger, more direct — something that causes anger or resentment

  • inappropriate

    less judgmental — simply not suitable for the situation

  • insensitive

    focuses on lack of awareness of others' feelings

  • crass

    more informal; implies rudeness combined with a lack of intelligence

反義詞
  • tasteful

    appropriate and sensitive in social situations

  • sensitive

    showing awareness and care for others' feelings

文法句型

tasteless + noun (joke/remark/comment)

be + tasteless

用法筆記

Often used to describe humour or remarks that touch on serious topics such as death, illness, or tragedy. Common objects include joke, remark, comment, humour, and behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌He made a tasteless joke about his friend's new haircut.
✅He made an unkind joke about his friend's new haircut.
💡Tasteless is for topics that are socially serious or sensitive (death, illness, tragedy), not for ordinary unkindness.
❌The movie was tasteless because it had bad language.
✅The movie was offensive because it had bad language.
💡Tasteless implies a lack of sensitivity about what is appropriate, not just general offensiveness.

2. Tasteless food or drink has so little flavour that it is unpleasant or disappoin

2.形容詞B1
釋義

Tasteless food or drink has so little flavour that it is unpleasant or disappointing when you eat or drink it.

例句

Hana added salt and pepper because the boiled rice was completely tasteless.

completely tasteless — intensifier + predicative use describing food

Kenji refused to eat the tasteless hospital soup, even though he was hungry.

同義詞
  • bland

    more common for food that is simply uninteresting rather than entirely without flavour

  • flavourless

    direct synonym, often used interchangeably

  • insipid

    formal; describes food or drink that is dull and weak

  • watery

    specific to liquids or soups that have been diluted too much

反義詞

文法句型

be + tasteless

tasteless + noun (food/soup/meal)

用法筆記

Commonly used for cooked food that has been poorly seasoned or boiled for too long. Less common for drinks, except for weak tea or coffee. The intensifier completely is very frequent.

常見錯誤

❌I don't like tasteless coffee in the morning.
✅I don't like weak coffee in the morning.
💡Tasteless for drinks is unusual; weak or watery is more natural for coffee or tea.
❌This apple is tasteless.
✅This apple has no flavour.
💡Fresh fruit that lacks sweetness is usually described as flavourless or lacking flavour, not tasteless.

3. Furniture, clothes, or decorations that are tasteless look ugly or cheap because

3.形容詞B2
釋義

Furniture, clothes, or decorations that are tasteless look ugly or cheap because the person who chose them did not use good judgment about style or appearance.

例句

The living room was filled with tasteless gold statues and plastic flowers.

tasteless + decorative objects — attributive use for aesthetic judgment

Sade thought the bright orange sofa with purple cushions was completely tasteless.

同義詞
  • tacky

    more informal; suggests something is cheap-looking or shows bad taste

  • garish

    focuses on colours or decorations that are too bright or showy

  • vulgar

    stronger judgment; implies rudeness combined with bad taste

  • gaudy

    describes something decorated too brightly or with too much detail

反義詞
  • stylish

    attractive and showing a good sense of fashion or design

  • elegant

    tastefully rich and graceful in appearance

  • classy

    informal; of high quality and showing good taste

文法句型

tasteless + noun (decor/outfit/design)

be + tasteless

用法筆記

Describes items that are visually unpleasant because someone tried too hard to impress or show wealth. Unlike unfashionable (which just means out of date), tasteless implies an active lack of judgment.

常見錯誤

❌Her dress was tasteless because it was old-fashioned.
✅Her dress was unfashionable because it was old-fashioned.
💡Tasteless is not about being out of date; it is about poor choices in style or design.
❌The building was tasteless and boring.
✅The building was ugly and boring.
💡Tasteless suggests an attempt to look impressive that fails, not just plain ugliness.