uglier; ugliest
1
a
: unpleasant or offensive to look at : hideous
an ugly color
That dog is ugly as sin. [=very ugly]
b
: offensive or unpleasant to any sense
an ugly sound/voice
2
: morally offensive or objectionable
corruption—the ugliest stain of all
an ugly slur
3
a
: very bad, inconvenient, or unpleasant
the ugly truth
an ugly situation
Things could get/turn ugly.
b
: surly, quarrelsome
an ugly disposition/temper
Examples of ugly in a Sentence
an ugly shade of green
They avoided what could have been an ugly situation.
He has an ugly disposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
The making of Pretty Baby had its ugly moments, which Brooke Shields has been candid about over the years.
—
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
When Fuentes found out about the CNN interview, things got ugly.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
If his defensive effort and willingness to engage around heavy players in the ugly areas doesn’t improve?
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The songs on bitknot are heavier, uglier, and far more glitched out than those on their predecessor.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
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Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
When Fuentes found out about the CNN interview, things got ugly.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
If his defensive effort and willingness to engage around heavy players in the ugly areas doesn’t improve?
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The songs on bitknot are heavier, uglier, and far more glitched out than those on their predecessor.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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