1
as in hideous
unpleasant to look at
her first attempt at painting was pretty ugly—a portrait of her sister that was not at all flattering
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
an ugly suggestion for controlling the overpopulation of deer in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of ugly
The primary colors are drab grays and ugly browns.
—
Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
The Kings were trailing by 26 early in the second half when things got really ugly.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Only, next time, the populist turn seems likely to be far uglier.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
But as long as the Republican Party—and much of the Democratic party, even now—continues to insist that there’s no division between Jews and Israelis, the idea of going to war on Israel’s behalf is going to lead people to ugly places.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
The Kings were trailing by 26 early in the second half when things got really ugly.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Only, next time, the populist turn seems likely to be far uglier.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
But as long as the Republican Party—and much of the Democratic party, even now—continues to insist that there’s no division between Jews and Israelis, the idea of going to war on Israel’s behalf is going to lead people to ugly places.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
-
The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But once, my roommate had hung this hideous rack of dusty old spices above the stove.—
Alyse Whitney,
Saveur,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Building Alligator Alcatraz and being proud of treating people inhumanely while at the same time stealing money for his charity is disgusting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The finale is a suitably grotesque affair with a body count that’s impressive even by genre standards.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The two largest power conferences have bulked up to grotesque proportions, sprawling footprints and ravenous ambitions, thanks to the influence of TV partners Fox and ESPN.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
She got caught in a really bad cycle, and just seeing that video, and yes, the child being involved is awful; everyone involved is really hard.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That defense was looking awful.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
From the dramatic adolescent to the unpredictable PMS-ing woman to the irritable menopausal crone, unattractive stereotypes of women ruled by their hormones abound.—
Patricia Bencivenga,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The plant will form stunted shoots and leaves along with unattractive brown spots.—
Michelle Mastro,
Architectural Digest,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks to Epperson’s goal from the front-left side of the crease in the second OT, the Pioneers avoided a sickening taste of déjà vu.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
