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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ugly
Well, first of all, this race is a very ugly race.
—
Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Fort Wayne then doubled its lead in the 59th minute on an ugly sequence in the Boise box.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
The game started very ugly for KAT and crew before a 29-point deficit was fully erased in the second half.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
In many ways, the ugly 40s are less about appearance and more about identity.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Fort Wayne then doubled its lead in the 59th minute on an ugly sequence in the Boise box.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
The game started very ugly for KAT and crew before a 29-point deficit was fully erased in the second half.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
In many ways, the ugly 40s are less about appearance and more about identity.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
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This is a hideous colour, the sort that shouldn’t be seen anywhere other than on someone helping kids cross the road near a school.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
With its violent and disgusting script, Se7en defied Hollywood conventions and was a perfect match for David Fincher, who was then known for directing Alien 3 (1992) along with gritty and inventive music videos.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
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The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The final Scary Movie trailer opens with a fittingly grotesque send-up of Terrifier, the ultra-bloody, low-budget clown slasher that's built a cult following.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
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The contemporary entertainment industry pushes that logic into nearly grotesque territory, as film and TV productions compete against 24/7 internet feeds and a rapidly changing meme dialect designed to always leave someone out of the loop.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
There's an awful lot of this nation's history packed into one three-block area in Philadelphia.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Speaking of paperwork, there’s an awful lot of it in this episode.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
-
The companies try to slow down this process by submerging it in oil, but the resulting flavor is horrible.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
As costs ramp up in anticipation of revenues, the cost structure begins to dictate strategy, making the small, unglamorous opportunities that might actually work seem unattractive.—
Rory McDonald,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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The plastic tubing on rope lights can become dingy and unattractive.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
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So united and powerful were these Indigenous people that some of their enemies started to get desperate, that whiff of anxiety taking on a sickening stench.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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