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View synonyms for ugly

ugly

adjective

, ug·li·er, ug·li·est.

very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance.
Synonyms: uncomely, homely, unlovely, unsightly, hard-featured, ill-favored
Antonyms: beautiful
disagreeable; unpleasant; objectionable:
ugly tricks;
ugly discords.
ugly crime.
Synonyms: corrupt, monstrous, vile, heinous, base
threatening trouble or danger:
ugly symptoms.
Synonyms: ominous, disadvantageous
mean; hostile; quarrelsome:
an ugly mood;
an ugly frame of mind.
Synonyms: spiteful, surly
(especially of natural phenomena) unpleasant or dangerous:
ugly weather;
an ugly sea.
Synonyms: tempestuous, stormy

/ ˈʌɡlɪ /

adjective

of unpleasant or unsightly appearance
repulsive, objectionable, or displeasing in any way
war is ugly
an ugly situation
bad-tempered, angry, or sullen
an ugly mood

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Derived Forms

ˈuglily, adverb
ˈugliness, noun

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Other Words From

ugli·ly adverb
ugli·ness noun
super·ugly adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ugly1

First recorded in

1200–50; Middle English ugly, uglike, from Old Norse uggligr “fearful, dreadful,” equivalent to ugg(r) “fear” + -ligr -ly

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Word History and Origins

Origin of ugly1

C13: from Old Norse uggligr dreadful, from ugga fear

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Idioms and Phrases

rear its ugly head

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Example Sentences

Andy Farrell called it "three or four games in one" and, as such, there was good, bad and ugly in the host's performance.

These include calling pro-choice protesters fat and ugly, defending the racist and antisemitic “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, and associating with Holocaust deniers.

If they get even halfway toward the kind of mass deportation they talk about, for example, it’s going to be brutal and incredibly ugly — and will cost American taxpayers a lot of money.

Are the Rams better than the team that muddled through an ugly Monday night loss to Miami?

It's no wonder, when you consider that women are more likely to report ugly or even scary experiences while dating, such as harassment or unwanted touching.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023