Unpleasant, offensive, or morally wrong in a way that makes you feel disgusted or disappointed.
Compound word combining the prefix 'dis-' (meaning opposite or away) with 'tasteful,' from 'taste' which comes from Old French 'taster' (to taste or to have a quality). The metaphorical extension from physical taste to moral judgment dates to the 1600s.
We describe bad behavior as 'distasteful' using the same word we'd use for spoiled food—our brains actually process moral disgust and physical disgust in similar ways, which is why the metaphor feels so natural!
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