undesirably

Undesirably is an adverb used to indicate that something occurs in a way that is not desirable or to an extent that is undesirable. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and is common in formal, analytical, or evaluative writing.

Etymology and formation: The word is formed by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to the adjective undesirable. The adjective undesirable itself is built from the prefix un- attached to desirable, with desirable tracing back to Latin and French roots related to longing or wanting something favorable. The result is a word that explicitly signals negative judgment about a result, action, or condition.

Usage and nuance: Undesirably communicates a normative assessment, often in contexts such as policy analysis, research reporting, journalism, and critical discussion. It tends to be used when the speaker or writer wishes to describe outcomes that are not merely unfavorable in fact but inappropriate or undesired in a given aims or standards. Common collocations include undesirably high, undesirably low, undesirably slow, or undesirably disruptive. For example: “The policy produced undesirably long wait times.” It is a formal alternative to phrases like “unwantedly” or “unfavourably,” and in some cases may be perceived as subjective.

Related terms: Undesirable is the corresponding adjective, while unfavorably or detrimentally are other adverbs or adjectives used to express negative evaluation. In practice, undesirably is most suitable when a precise, evaluative tone is required without naming a specific deficiency.