unfavourable (British spelling)

1. serve#Verb|Serving to hinder or oppose; adverse, disadvantageous, inconducive, unsuitable.

   Antonyms: favourable

   • 1863, Henry David Thoreau, chapter 6, Excursions:

     The shade of a dense pine wood, is more unfavorable to the springing up of pines of the same species than of oaks within it.

2. Not auspicious; ill-boding.

   Synonyms: inauspicious, unfortunate, Thesaurus:unlucky

   Antonyms: favourable, fortunate, Thesaurus:lucky

   • 1813 January 26, [Jane Austen], chapter VIII, in Pride and Prejudice: A Novel. In Three Volumes, volume III, London: Printed [by George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], OCLC 38659585 ↗, page 148 ↗:

     Elizabeth was now most heartily sorry that she had, from the distress of the moment, been led to make Mr. Darcy acquainted with their fears for her sister; for since her marriage would so shortly give the proper termination to the elopement, they might hope to conceal its unfavourable beginning from all those who were not immediately on the spot.

   • 1903, Anna Katharine Green, The Filigree Ball, ch. 6:

     The fact that the bride went through the ceremony without her bridal bouquet is looked upon by many as an unfavorable omen.

3. Of a belief, state of mind, etc.: not favourable; disapproving#Adjective|disapproving.

   Synonyms: favourable

   • 1860, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “Maggie Tries to Run away from Her Shadow”, in The Mill on the Floss [...] In Three Volumes, volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, OCLC 80067893 ↗, book I (Boy and Girl), pages 208–209 ↗:

     [Y]et the thing she most dreaded was to offend the gypsies, by betraying her extremely unfavourable opinion of them, [...]

4. Of wind#Noun|wind or weather#Noun|weather: causing delay#Noun|delay or obstacles; not conducive to travel#Noun|travel or work#Noun|work; inclement.
   • 1855, Herman Melville, chapter 17, Israel Potter:

     The wind was right under the land, the tide unfavorable.

• French: défavorable
• German: ungünstig
• Portuguese: desfavorável
• Russian: неблагоприя́тный
• Spanish: desfavorable, no favorable