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
: in an ugly manner
was acting ugly
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
Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
If that special someone already has more than enough ugly Christmas sweaters to make the season a little too bright, maybe his or her ride could use a festive touch as well.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Some critics of federal food assistance stirred up ugly, misinformed tropes about SNAP recipients.
—Garrett Haake, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
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Adjective
But Kingsley warns of impending trouble for the twosome as Trevor's ambition once again rears its ugly head.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
If that special someone already has more than enough ugly Christmas sweaters to make the season a little too bright, maybe his or her ride could use a festive touch as well.
—Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Adverb
Maybe those same rich people who left Earth behind when things got ugly are responsible for ARC in the first place.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Some critics of federal food assistance stirred up ugly, misinformed tropes about SNAP recipients.
—Garrett Haake, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugly. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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