ungodly

adjective

un·​god·​ly ˌən-ˈgäd-lē How to pronounce ungodly (audio)
 also  -ˈgȯd-
1
a
: denying or disobeying God : impious, irreligious
… the listener fancied that he could distinguish the accents of towns-people of his own, men and women, both pious and ungodlyNathaniel Hawthorne
b
: contrary to moral law : sinful, wicked
… he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own conscience so reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life …Daniel Defoe
Look at what's happened to our ozone layer … ! We have destroyed this planet with our ungodly ways!John Way
2
a
: outrageous
gets up at an ungodly hour
… this sandwich has an impressive nuanced batter that for some ungodly reason is lost on the rest of the fast food community.The Catalyst: Colorado College
b
: far exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected
an ungodly feat
ungodly speeds
In the blackened interior of the smokehouse hang enormous hams, some an ungodly fifty-five pounds. "People want a large ham," Guier comments modestly.Matt Kramer
c
: severely objectionable to the senses
an ungodly smell
The bark of a fox, ungodly screech of a coon, … and the howls and yips of coyote all travel far on the still, damp night air.M. L. Wells
ungodly adverb
The most dramatic, commonly noted phenomenon of deserts is that they are ungodly hot and dry. Bil Gilbert
In each case, an ungodly rich person made a crazy-rich person even richer. Rick Reilly

Example Sentences

What an ungodly racket they're making!
Recent Examples on the Web There is, however, an ungodly amount of K-Y Jelly. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2023 My ungodly book speaks to you. Country Living, 4 Oct. 2022 Some ungodly amount of intervention, educational toys, books, camps, classes, therapies, money—for god’s sake, take my money—would change his trajectory. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 18 Feb. 2023 With so many memorable lines, TFIOS inspired an ungodly number of quote tattoos after the releases of both the book and film. Rachel Simon, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2022 Pim forces him to see the job through, putting an ungodly amount of blind, and kind, faith in the man’s ability to find a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Lex Briscuso, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2022 For some ungodly reason, Vulture has been thrown into a Food Week. Vulture, 19 Oct. 2022 As Maren, a young woman coming to terms with her own ungodly appetites, Russell is both achingly vulnerable and bracingly self-possessed. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 Dec. 2022 Even a stack of nondescript seashells that had adorned Didion’s home won an ungodly sum. Hannah Elliott, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ungodly.' 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

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ungodly was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near ungodly

Cite this Entry

“Ungodly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ungodly. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

ungodly

adjective
un·​god·​ly ˌən-ˈgäd-lē How to pronounce ungodly (audio)
 also  -ˈgȯd-
1
a
: denying God : impious, irreligious
b
2
: outrageous
gets up at an ungodly hour
ungodliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ungodly

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