ugly

adjective

ˈə-glē How to pronounce ugly (audio)
Definition of uglynext
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ugly Many twenty-somethings are more than willing to share every detail of their lives, the good, the bad, and the ugly, on social media. — Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 30 July 2026 If Masino left of her own accord, the personal cost of the ugly, monthslong crisis may have played a role. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 July 2026 All of the necessary elements are in place for TCU to walk into that game and leave with an ugly L. — Mac Engel july 28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026 And perhaps most importantly, the specter of eugenics reared its ugly head in medical triage protocols, and the devaluing of lives deemed less worthy than others. — Kenny Fries, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
  1. hideous
  2. disgusting
  3. grotesque
  4. awful
  5. unpleasing
  6. horrible
  7. unattractive
  8. sickening
Adjective
  • Illiteracy, and its centuries-long ongoing epidemic, is hideous.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • The left's most hated author — JK Rowling — has dropped the hammer on the disgusting things that took place at the Indiana Fever-Seattle Storm game earlier this week.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • Or when some man behaving like a degenerate gambler plods into Chelsea Gray’s DMs with a disgusting slur.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • After all, these rich, beautiful people couldn’t possibly see past Dee’s uncontrollable urge to panic-gag and Charlie’s uncontrollable desire to shove grotesque amounts of cheese in his mouth, right?
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • Devil facial tumor disease appeared in 1996 in Tasmania’s northeast, grotesque growths on the face and mouth that the animals spread by biting one another in their squabbles over food and mates.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of grotesque
Adjective
  • So kudos to the extras who steal scenes from them in the background, flailing like avant-garde dancers when a vicious mental parasite leaps from grandmothers to joggers to security guards on a quest to find something awful.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The experts and the betting odds expect futility on the field, something close to awful.
    — Greg Cote July 27, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • But the Chinese way will cause a proliferation of talent, usage, data—until something horrible happens.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The Badgers have had horrible injury luck, which has led to bad QB play the past few years.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Not at all times because catastrophes happen and underwriting can sometimes get so crowded that the pricing becomes unattractive.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 20 July 2026
  • Those efforts have run into obstacles at times, with critics charging that the protections could make the state unattractive for business development.
    — P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
Definition of unattractive
Adjective
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
  • The 2022 spill was the largest ever from the Keystone pipeline, killing or sickening 2,700 animals.
    — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of sickening

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ugliness
ugly
ukase
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Cite this Entry

“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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