unconscionable
adjective
un·con·scio·na·ble ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl 
1
a
: shockingly unfair or unjust
unconscionable sales practices
b
: excessive, unreasonable
found an unconscionable number of defects in the car
2
: not guided or controlled by conscience : unscrupulous
an unconscionable villain
unconscionability
ˌən-ˌkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun unconscionableness
ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl-nəs
noun unconscionably
ˌən-ˈkän(t)-sh(ə-)nə-blē
adverb 
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When Do You Use unconscionable?
Something that can't be done in good conscience is unconscionable, and such acts can range from betraying a confidence to mass murder. For a five-syllable word, unconscionable is actually quite common. This is partly because it isn't always used very seriously; so, for example, a critic is free to call a fat new book "an unconscionable waste of trees". In law, an unconscionable contract is one that, even though it was signed by both parties, is so ridiculous that a judge will just throw it out.
Synonyms
- baroque
- devilish
- excessive
- exorbitant
- extravagant
- extreme
- fancy
- immoderate
- inordinate
- insane
- intolerable
- lavish
- overdue
- overextravagant
- overmuch
- overweening
- plethoric
- steep
- stiff
- towering
- undue
- unmerciful
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
They have had to endure unconscionable delays. an unconscionable number of errors for an important government report
Recent Examples on the Web Preposterous and unconscionable analogies to Nazi Germany became the order of the day. 
Frida Ghitis, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 Make no mistake, this is the same argument studios have used since the early days of the industry to justify unreasonable, unfair and unconscionable practices. Duncan Crabtree-ireland, Variety, 5 Aug. 2022 But the Kyle Rittenhouse trial that concluded last month indicates the risks of confusing unconscionable acts with criminal ones. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 3 Dec. 2021 The very idea of dialling the Russian country code while Russia continues to kill Ukrainians was unconscionable. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 14 June 2022 For some, the list was unconscionable but juvenile. Caterina Bulgarella, Forbes, 24 June 2021 To try nothing in the face of routine massacre is unconscionable. Edward Felsenthal, Time, 26 May 2022 If stockpiling often seems immoral, that’s in part because an unconscionable number of people have always grappled with genuine scarcity. Eleanor Cummins, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 This bittersweet collection of memories stands as a testament to the unconscionable harm that late-stage capitalism and its attendant greed have done to local news. Longreads, 5 May 2022 See More
Frida Ghitis, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 Make no mistake, this is the same argument studios have used since the early days of the industry to justify unreasonable, unfair and unconscionable practices. Duncan Crabtree-ireland, Variety, 5 Aug. 2022 But the Kyle Rittenhouse trial that concluded last month indicates the risks of confusing unconscionable acts with criminal ones. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 3 Dec. 2021 The very idea of dialling the Russian country code while Russia continues to kill Ukrainians was unconscionable. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 14 June 2022 For some, the list was unconscionable but juvenile. Caterina Bulgarella, Forbes, 24 June 2021 To try nothing in the face of routine massacre is unconscionable. Edward Felsenthal, Time, 26 May 2022 If stockpiling often seems immoral, that’s in part because an unconscionable number of people have always grappled with genuine scarcity. Eleanor Cummins, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 This bittersweet collection of memories stands as a testament to the unconscionable harm that late-stage capitalism and its attendant greed have done to local news. Longreads, 5 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Legal Definition
unconscionable
adjective
un·con·scio·na·ble ˌən-ˈkän-chə-nə-bəl
: unreasonably unfair to one party, marked by oppression, or otherwise unacceptably offensive to public policy
an unconscionable clause
finds the contract…to have been unconscionable at the time it was made Uniform Commercial Code
compare conscionable Uniform Commercial Codeunconscionable
adjective
1
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount an unconscionable number of errors for an important government report Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- excessive
- extreme
- insane
- steep
- extravagant
- intolerable
- exorbitant
- endless
- infinite
- lavish
- inordinate
- undue
- unbearable
- inappropriate
- unmerciful
- immoderate
- baroque
- plethoric
- fancy
- devilish
- unjustifiable
- overdue
- overmuch
- overextravagant
- improper
- overweening
- unwarranted
- immeasurable
- stiff
- towering
- over the top
- unseemly
- limitless
- a bit much
- boundless
- unrestrained
- thick
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reasonable
- inadequate
- insufficient
- moderate
- modest
- deficient
- minimal
- minimum
- middling
- temperate
2
as in immoral
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right a politician with an unconscionable disregard for the truth Synonyms & Similar Words
- immoral
- ruthless
- unethical
- unscrupulous
- unprincipled
- corrupt
- merciless
- cutthroat
- dishonest
- deceitful
- pitiless
- crooked
- Machiavellian
- remorseless
- depraved
- calculating
- degraded
- debased
- licentious
- opportunistic
- profligate
- knavish
- degenerate
- debauched
- libertine
- demoralized
- dissipated
- decadent
- cheapjack
- scheming
- dog-eat-dog
- jackleg
- sharp
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ethical
- moral
- honorable
- scrupulous
- conscientious
- noble
- good
- righteous
- virtuous
- just
- principled