These words describe qualities or situations that arouse feelings of displeasure or dislike, but usually not of strong aversion. Bad , the most general word of this group, may be a weak synonym for any of the other terms, indicating an unfavourable or undesirable quality. Bad government usually means corrupt government; a bad typist is an incompetent typist; a bad odour is often a disgusting or offensive odour; a bad child is a troublesome child; a bad situation may be either an unhappy or a dangerous situation.

Unpleasant is also a general word, but with a more limited application than bad. Unpleasant simply means not pleasant, failing to please: an unpleasant evening spent listening to a bore. However, unpleasant is often used as is bad to describe things that are displeasing or painful in various degrees of intensity. An unpleasant operation may be a polite description of a painful operation; an unpleasant day may be a polite description of a painful operation; an unpleasant day may be a tiring day or a stormy day; an unpleasant person may be s selfish, quarrelsome or dirty person; an unpleasant taste my be a bitter or rancid taste.

Disagreeable and distasteful are stronger and more specific terms than bad and unpleasant . That which is disagreeable offends the senses, the feelings or the opinions: the disagreeable taste of sour milk; to find the attentions of an unwanted suitor disagreeable ; to find expressions of bigotry not only disagreeable to listen to, but almost impossible to eradicate. That which is distasteful is something which one finds disagreeable or shuns, not because it is inherently bad or undesirable, but because it goes against one'?tastes or nature.

• Some people find hard work distasteful ; Asking a favour from anyone was distasteful to my mother.

Distasteful is now only rarely applied to food or drink that is poorly prepared or has a disagreeable taste.

Objectionable carries strong overtones of disapproval and moral indignation: The censors declared the love scenes in the book to be objectionable . Objectionable may also apply to that which is counter to one’s sense of what is proper, fitting or aesthetically pleasing.

• Sentimentality is objectionable to critical, informed lovers of art; The Japanese, with their love of simplicity and order, find cluttered interiors objectionable .