ugly

adjective

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ug·ly | \ ˈə-glē

uglier; ugliest

Definition of ugly

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : offensive to the sight : hideous

b : offensive or unpleasant to any sense

2 : morally offensive or objectionable corruption—the ugliest stain of all

3a : likely to cause inconvenience or discomfort the ugly truth

b : surly, quarrelsome an ugly disposition

4 : frightful, dire

ugly

adverb

Definition of ugly (Entry 2 of 2)

: in an ugly manner was acting ugly

Other Words from ugly Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About ugly

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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 start was downright ugly on Friday night at the Owensboro Sportscenter for the first game of the annual series against Kentucky. — Kyle Neddenriep, The Indianapolis Star, 12 June 2021 The spark of the violence was ugly, and all too familiar: the lie that a white woman had been assaulted by a Black man. — Seyward Darby, Longreads, 31 May 2021 That confidence is why their recent three-week offensive slide was so ugly, so perplexing, so frustrating. — Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2021 Also, although the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) has been pretty ugly this week and overall advancers were hard to find, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) showed pockets of green today, especially in a few sectors. — Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 12 May 2021 Jim Crow laws were in full force; ugly, dehumanizing caricatures of Black Americans were the norm in popular media. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2021 Ah, but the law of unintended consequences rears its ugly head in many mysterious ways. — Clarence Page, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2021 That trend began long before a pandemic reared its ugly head. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 May 2021 In general, there’s this thought that inflation may rear its ugly head. — Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 12 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The encounter soon turned ugly, in Ms. Williams’s account. — New York Times, 15 June 2021 And when the tired design of the iPhone is placed next to the recent Android devices, that notch is a big ugly disincentive. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 25 May 2021 In other words, the fallout from the attack on Colonial Pipeline, which runs the largest US fuel pipeline system, could get ugly really fast. — Andy Meek, BGR, 10 May 2021 During the past year, there have undoubtedly been moments when the world has seemed like a place bereft of beauty, ugly even. — Harper's BAZAAR, 26 Apr. 2021 But what began as a small gesture soon turned ugly on Monday when the woman, for reasons that remain unclear, went from offering to pay for their lunch to harassing the troops and accusing them of stealing her money. — Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2021 In Atlanta, thousands of protesters marched in the streets last year, some for months, and confrontations with police officers sometimes turned ugly. — Alan Judd, ajc, 21 Apr. 2021 Those who claim credit for good-looking statistics may be setting themselves up for a boatload of blame if the numbers turn ugly. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2021 How the quest to build a helipad next to Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s home turned ugly: The Times obtained internal Sheriff’s Department documents under the state’s public records law to better understand what happened. — Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ugly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.