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
The nightingale glanced at her small and homely child in mild surprise, as did the page.
—
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
With pale, irregular surfaces dotted with black bits of char, the homely slabs aren’t much to look at, but the first bite packs a big smoky punch that only grows with each subsequent chew.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Conjure the homely, heart-warming elements of the season and take inspiration from nature with Taupe 03 Soho Roc House by Lick.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2025
Evening Curiously, despite being in the southerly Krabi region, Bun Noodle serves delightful, aesthetically lovely northern Thai dishes (the family is from Chiang Mai) in a homely setting.
—Adam Turner, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
With pale, irregular surfaces dotted with black bits of char, the homely slabs aren’t much to look at, but the first bite packs a big smoky punch that only grows with each subsequent chew.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Conjure the homely, heart-warming elements of the season and take inspiration from nature with Taupe 03 Soho Roc House by Lick.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2025
Evening Curiously, despite being in the southerly Krabi region, Bun Noodle serves delightful, aesthetically lovely northern Thai dishes (the family is from Chiang Mai) in a homely setting.
—Adam Turner, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
Adjective
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Last year, the two teams met in London in an ugly 13-11 Denver win.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
With respect to humor’s inherent subjectivity, the appallingly ugly aesthetics of the AI overwhelm any possible comedic sensibility on display.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Any idea on when this hideous barcode-design strip will be released?—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
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Such is a snarky line that Emily Blunt delivers as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, a character who would rather faint than wear something hideous.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With this latest special, fans get a peek into Squirm's colorful yet grotesque world of goop, gore and guts.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2026
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His facial injuries were grotesque, and twice the referee summoned the ringside doctor to have a look, but, to his credit, Wardley never looked for a way out.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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