ugliness

noun

ug·​li·​ness ˈə-glē-nəs How to pronounce ugliness (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being ugly
2
: something that is ugly

Examples of ugliness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Her affair with the latter ended when Basquiat’s drug use began to overtake his focus, exuberance, and ability to find the joke, if not the joy, in a world of pain and ugliness. Michelle Orange, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023 The evening’s events were, of course, no accident, but there’s a weird beauty in adopting the ugliness of one on purpose—magnifying imperfections to make a statement, rather than subverting them to make a hit. Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2023 Without the ugliness, there would have been no calm. Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023 Don’t be surprised if the telecom industry’s attack on Rosenworcel’s proposal exceeds the ugliness of its effort to support the rollback of net neutrality. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023 Amid all the ugliness that is the Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas divorce, Turner was just spotted hanging out with another famous Jonas ex, Taylor Swift. Condé Nast, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2023 Something that is so full of ugliness and self-defeat? Hazlitt, 11 Oct. 2023 Many in Britain are confronting the reality that the ugliness of the era may lurk much closer to the surface of public life than many realized or admitted. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 24 Sep. 2023 Real estate is another way to pave over the past; no developer wants to confront office tenants and riverfront residents with shrill reminders of ugliness. Curbed, 27 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ugliness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ugliness was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ugliness

Cite this Entry

“Ugliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugliness. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

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