Synonyms of ugly

ugly

adjective

ˈə-glē 

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

• hideous
• grotesque
• unpleasing
• disgusting
• awful
• unattractive
• monstrous
• horrible
• unsightly
• unappealing
• vile
• unlovely
• homely
• unbeautiful
• unpretty
• uncomely
• ill-favored
• sickening
• appalling
• repulsive
• unhandsome
• dreadful
• loathsome
• abominable
• horrid
• revolting
• gross
• repugnant
• repellent
• abhorrent
• nauseating
• plain
• distasteful
• nauseous
• frumpy
• noisome
• unbecoming
• unaesthetic
• unshapely
• frumpish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beautiful
• attractive
• pretty
• handsome
• gorgeous
• lovely
• cute
• aesthetic
• stunning
• good-looking
• fair
• beauteous
• ravishing
• comely
• goodly
• drop-dead
• seemly
• knockout
• fetching
• shapely
• taking
• impressive
• sightly
• bonny
• well-favored
• imposing
• prepossessing

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

• disgusting
• awful
• horrible
• hideous
• sickening
• obnoxious
• shocking
• obscene
• dreadful
• offensive
• nasty
• unpleasant
• evil
• gross
• repulsive
• horrid
• loathsome
• terrible
• appalling
• abominable
• gruesome
• odious
• revolting
• horrific
• horrendous
• repugnant
• scandalous
• abhorrent
• distasteful
• noxious
• undesirable
• repellent
• foul
• nauseating
• rancid
• nauseous
• noisome
• disturbing
• vile
• fulsome
• unwanted
• hateful
• monstrous
• miserable
• objectionable
• disagreeable
• grim
• horrifying
• detestable
• contemptible
• unhealthy
• despicable
• sick
• ghastly
• heinous
• brackish
• unwholesome
• atrocious
• unwelcome
• nightmarish
• lousy
• unspeakable
• frightful
• grisly
• sickly
• hard
• unsavory
• uncivilized
• lurid
• exceptionable
• barbarous
• execrable
• macabre
• dislikable
• ungodly
• upsetting
• unholy
• distressing
• sickish
• unchristian
• off-putting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocuous
• attractive
• acceptable
• desirable
• pleasant
• sweet
• nice
• delightful
• delicious
• inoffensive
• alluring
• appealing
• agreeable
• welcome
• enjoyable
• dreamy
• satisfying
• darling
• luscious
• heavenly
• pleasing
• congenial
• likable
• pleasurable
• gratifying
• delectable
• palatable
• blessed
• inviting
• felicitous
• savory
• dulcet
• unobjectionable
• healthy
• unexceptionable
• wholesome
• healthful
• delightsome
• salutary
• salubrious
• restorative

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ugly

The league is hurtling toward an ugly lockout, with owners preparing to cry poverty and demand a hard salary cap to stop the spending monster in Southern California. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026

Hurzeler was outspoken about Arsenal’s time-wasting and reliance on set pieces before and after an ugly 1-0 defeat to the eventual champions at the Amex in March. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

When houses squeeze into their lots, vehicles grow more imposing, and storefronts battle for attention, the problem is no longer simply whether something is beautiful or ugly. — Debbie Millman, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

That works beautifully during the build-out and gets ugly at exactly the moment growth decelerates, because that's when the depreciation from peak spending years hits an income statement that's no longer growing into it. — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026