unsightly

adjective

un·​sight·​ly ˌən-ˈsīt-lē How to pronounce unsightly (audio)
: not pleasing to the sight : not comely
an unsightly mess
unsightliness noun

Examples of unsightly in a Sentence

The cracks in the wall are unsightly. strip-mining leaves an unsightly gash in the landscape
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After heavy rains, concert-goers took to sliding down the slopes southwest of the Liberty Memorial, leaving the area an unsightly mess. Dan Kelly october 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025 Putin was portrayed as an unsightly troll, who, by an act of magic—a spell cast by the puppet version of Boris Berezovsky, the magnate who helped engineer his rise to the Presidency—comes to appear beautiful and virtuous, the subject of great adulation and deference. Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025 This can lead to more scratches and an even more unsightly end result. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025 Cam struggles, and the other guy's face becomes a unsightly mess. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsightly

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsightly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unsightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsightly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

unsightly

adjective
un·​sight·​ly ˌən-ˈsīt-lē How to pronounce unsightly (audio)
ˈən-
: unpleasant to the sight : ugly
an unsightly scar
unsightliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unsightly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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