ugly

1 of 2

adjective

ug·​ly ˈə-glē 

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

4

: frightful, dire

an ugly wound

uglily

ˈə-glə-lē 

adverb

ugly

2 of 2

adverb

: in an ugly manner

was acting ugly

Synonyms of ugly

Adjective

• hideous
• grotesque
• unpleasing
• disgusting
• awful
• unattractive

Examples of ugly in a Sentence

Adjective

an ugly shade of green

They avoided what could have been an ugly situation.

He has an ugly disposition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Things can surely get uglier for bonds from here, on a trading basis. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

His dominance helped stymie the D-backs and create some ugly swings. — Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026

Adverb

Winning ugly has become a kind of superpower for her, in the years when scratchy form emerged more often than not. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

If this gets ugly early in the season, does UNC pull the trigger and appoint offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino as interim head coach? — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old Norse uggligr, from uggr fear; akin to Old Norse ugga to fear

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ugly

• (as) ugly as sin
• plug-ugly
• rear/raise its ugly head
• ugly duckling

Rhymes for ugly

• smugly
• snugly

Kids Definition

ugly

adjective

ug·​ly

ˈəg-lē

uglier; ugliest

1

: horrid or unpleasant especially to the sight : unsightly, hideous

2

: offensive entry 1 sense 3, repulsive

ugly habits

3

a

: likely to cause bother or discomfort : troublesome

an ugly situation

b

: quarrelsome

an ugly disposition

ugliness noun