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

The primary turned uglier than Republicans hoped, with Johnson spending big sums of money on ads targeting James. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

The Hour of the Star, in particular, drops us into the electric landscape of 1970s Brazil, following a young (ugly) girl’s love (situationship) with a rat of a boyfriend while weaving through themes of identity, inwardness, and social class. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Adverb

Last but not least, split-toe shoes inspired by Maison Margiela’s infamous Tabis are arguably the OG ugly flat. — Jordan Julian, InStyle, 18 July 2026

Folarin Balogun will have to sit out Monday's Round of 16 matchup against Belgium after receiving a red card on an incidental, yet ugly-looking, play. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 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