as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
along with thousands of other people, we entered our beloved pooch in a contest to find the homeliest dog in the country
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Recent Examples of homely
Her new homely passageway features a doormat, letterbox, a wreath made up of leaves and a plant.
—
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Ford’s shrewd boss, Robert McNamara, was ready to kill the nameplate altogether, facing another homely redesign approved for 1961.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
There is no fruit more poetic than the homely apple: Horticulturally, an apple is a kind of pome.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
7.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Ford’s shrewd boss, Robert McNamara, was ready to kill the nameplate altogether, facing another homely redesign approved for 1961.
—Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025
There is no fruit more poetic than the homely apple: Horticulturally, an apple is a kind of pome.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
7.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
Adjective
-
In 1996, Cantor died, and Lutnick, after an ugly succession battle with Cantor’s widow, Iris, took control.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
-
In 1965 Martin got into an ugly battle with President Lyndon B. Johnson.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
-
Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation.—
Armond White,
National Review,
11 July 2025
-
The dark edge in Bushnell’s writing reflects less a brave new world than a world that is the hideous extension of the old one.—
Alice Bolin
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
But, extreme wealth is a symptom of extreme inequality, and billionaire status is kind of grotesque.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
-
Earlier today, a new post from Elmo was shared expressing his gratitude following the grotesque incident.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
And the most unattractive thing in the world to me is a quitter.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
-
On the one end, minimalist-verging-on-monastic versions of adult rooms, where everything is beige and unattractive toys are not allowed.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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