unenviable

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English enviable English unenviable From un- + enviable.

1. Difficult, undesirable, or unpleasant; not to be envied.

   “Valjean was in the unenviable position of either living with the knowledge an innocent would suffer for his crime or revealing his true identity and going back to prison.”

   “There might be a 'train captain' on board, as on the Docklands Light Railway, but this would be an unenviable role on our packed Tube: the train captain would be condemned to live in a permanent rush hour.”