ill-favored

adjective

ˈil-ˈfā-vərd How to pronounce ill-favored (audio)
Definition of ill-favorednext
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at an ill-favored and yapping little dog that reminded people a lot of its owner

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-favored
  1. ugly
  2. unpleasing
  3. hideous
  4. grotesque
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
  • 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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • The ace endured a rocky start punctuated by a hideous 11-run blowup in Minnesota and has now been sidelined with a shoulder injury since April 26.
    — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
  • Everyone's favorite hideous ogre and delusional donkey are finally reunited.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • There are other moments in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey that are as beautiful as this scene is grotesque.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • On view at New York’s Management Gallery, the exhibition treats the grotesque as an aesthetic on the verge of mutation.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of grotesque
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-fated
ill-favored
ill-humored
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-favored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-favored. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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