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
But sooner or later, your beautiful floor is going to get ugly scratches and gouges.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Mass shootings have become an ugly stain on our state.
—Brittany Pettersen, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
In a certain light, his characters are the gods themselves, trapped by the confines of human bodies and of America’s long and ugly history of injustice.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
In one of the many ugly performances the Yankees endured in their tumble from first place and Judge was throwing gingerly in a 12-5 loss to the Phillies.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Mass shootings have become an ugly stain on our state.
—Brittany Pettersen, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
In a certain light, his characters are the gods themselves, trapped by the confines of human bodies and of America’s long and ugly history of injustice.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
In one of the many ugly performances the Yankees endured in their tumble from first place and Judge was throwing gingerly in a 12-5 loss to the Phillies.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
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Hart was short, with a hideous combover.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
-
That hideous incentive triggered My Lai and other similarly heinous attacks.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
-
And yet … those conversations are also entertainingly provocative, and they’re accompanied by some of the scariest and most disgusting scenes the series has delivered up to now.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Just as scary as the grotesque creatures outside are the factionalism and paranoia of the residents inside.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Nwodim’s work here is graceful, ceding some big laughs to Edebiri (and her grotesque wound makeup) while locking in to her (slightly) less ridiculous character with hilarious conviction.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Tom’s appointees on the task force include Lizzie (Alison Oliver), a state police officer who’s regularly tormented by her fellow cops, and Aleah (Thuso Mbedu), who wins over a suspect in interrogation by sharing awful details of her past.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
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His college tape from Iowa showed a kid with excellent movement skills, perfect for the Niners’ offense, but with awful footwork in pass protection.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 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
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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
-
Can a horrible 17-year-old turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Can a 17-year-old horrible person turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An office tower may look unattractive on paper because vacancy is high, but a closer look could reveal that the property sits in a desirable submarket poised for growth, or that new infrastructure, universities or medical centers are about to create long-term tenants.—
Jack Mullen,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Trump has long said wind power turbines are unattractive and endanger birds, and that solar installations take up too much land.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sickening moment of Kirk's murder was captured on video and has been viewed by tens of millions of people.—
Melissa Galbraith,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The song comments on the sickening glee that’s been spread in some corners in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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