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
Whether that is fair or not, the move was certainly a long way from the early-career Meghan who raged against the homely image of women in the kitchen of the Ivory Clear commercial.
—
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
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
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
Her new homely passageway features a doormat, letterbox, a wreath made up of leaves and a plant.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for homely
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025
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
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
Her new homely passageway features a doormat, letterbox, a wreath made up of leaves and a plant.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
Adjective
-
Vanderbilt survived a Hail Mary against Missouri, while Memphis bounced back from its ugly loss to UAB to defeat South Florida and regain its spot as the leading Group of Five playoff contender.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Oct. 2025
-
But two familiar problems reared their ugly heads.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 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
-
Here, see the real-life The Twits cast side-by-side with their hilariously hideous animated counterparts.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The Jets did precious little against the hideous Dallas defense and, on the other side of the ball, allowed scoring drives of 90 and 91 yards.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Neither half of this grotesque couple wanted to end their relationship with a man who had so generously enabled their lifestyles.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The grotesque details—the uncle’s fingernails piercing his hands, the dog’s permanent terror of rabbits—are simply there.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Shares of Apple are down 2% this year, but Lee said that the company’s valuation still remains unattractive at its current level.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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