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
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
There are also two stepsisters, neither ugly but one quite bratty.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
This game is downright ugly early, and that seems to help the undersized Aggies.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
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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.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
There are also two stepsisters, neither ugly but one quite bratty.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
He likely already would have been inducted were in not for his part in the Astros’ ugly cheating scandal in 2017.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026
This game is downright ugly early, and that seems to help the undersized Aggies.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 17 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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