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
(as) ugly as sin
3 of 3phrase
informal
: very ugly
That dog of yours is as ugly as sin.
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
Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
But not one of them involves getting married in an ugly ass basketball arena in the middle of New York City.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But here’s where things got ugly fast.
—Ryan Brennan
march 20, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.
—Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
But not one of them involves getting married in an ugly ass basketball arena in the middle of New York City.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
Adverb
The Huskies won ugly over Illinois in the first game Saturday and stand one victory from their third NCAA title in four years, a feat not accomplished since the UCLA dynasty in the 1970s.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But here’s where things got ugly fast.
—Ryan Brennan
march 20, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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