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
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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
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Recent Examples of ugly
That would have been especially true with just how ugly that third goal was, with Helenius spinning and shooting the puck cleanly through Dobeš’ legs from 30 feet out.
—
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 15 May 2026
That big, ugly, black hole of our debt is slowly sucking out the ability of the central bank to respond to recessions, Slok argues.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 May 2026
That Week 6 game against the Seahawks will be delightfully ugly.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
Wednesday marked one of the Red Sox’s cleanest wins of the season, but things nearly took an ugly turn with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Arpon Basu, New York Times, 15 May 2026
That big, ugly, black hole of our debt is slowly sucking out the ability of the central bank to respond to recessions, Slok argues.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 May 2026
That Week 6 game against the Seahawks will be delightfully ugly.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 14 May 2026
Wednesday marked one of the Red Sox’s cleanest wins of the season, but things nearly took an ugly turn with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
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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
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How on Earth could this Wild team, after dominating the first period and taking a 3-0 lead with a chance to keep its season alive and force a Game 6, collapse in such an absolutely disgusting fashion?—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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Just days ago, the CDC announced that over 100 passengers and more than a dozen crew members on a different ship, the Caribbean Princess, have been infected by norovirus—a less fatal but more disgusting illness.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Gray has been good at home, a more reliable starter, and Painter has been awful overall.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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There was a sense of an extraordinary person and so many extraordinary people doing quite awful things throughout the year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Some perennials, like peonies, bloom briefly and can look unattractive for the rest of the season.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
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Tokyo Scramble is a mess with its unattractive environments, lackluster stealth gameplay, inconsistent in-game systems, and laughably bad narrative beats.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Accumulating plastic waste is overwhelming waterways and oceans, sickening marine life and threatening human health.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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The regular Forest captain was injured in a sickening clash of heads with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, with both players eventually substituted in the 66th minute.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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