as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
a makeshift shelter that was unbeautiful perhaps, but it kept us out of the rain
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Recent Examples of unbeautiful
Then over the Pont de la Concorde, an unbeautiful bridge that holds great historical significance.
—
Anna Hartley, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022
But it is often done in some very unbeautiful circumstances, for low wages, and in unhealthy work environments.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2022
Buddhism was born under a giant fig tree, which, today, grows at the center of the remote and unbeautiful town of Bodh Gaya, in India’s destitute northeastern state of Bihar.
—Paul Salopek, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2019
These things are for the unbeautiful, the uneducated, the uncouth.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 21 June 2017
Our sound, right now, is going to be the most blatant way of saying things -- the most unbeautiful, realistic lyrics.
—Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, 20 June 2017
Anna Hartley, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022
But it is often done in some very unbeautiful circumstances, for low wages, and in unhealthy work environments.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2022
Buddhism was born under a giant fig tree, which, today, grows at the center of the remote and unbeautiful town of Bodh Gaya, in India’s destitute northeastern state of Bihar.
—Paul Salopek, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2019
These things are for the unbeautiful, the uneducated, the uncouth.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 21 June 2017
Our sound, right now, is going to be the most blatant way of saying things -- the most unbeautiful, realistic lyrics.
—Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, 20 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbeautiful
Adjective
-
While not the pastor of the United States, Trump surely represents the face of the United States on a daily basis, and that face is an ugly one.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The hideous prospect of interviewing for jobs even more pointless than this one appears before me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not so in laissez-faire London, where unregulated insurance markets enabled all kinds of grotesque gambling schemes to thrive.—
Stuart Jeffries,
Air Mail,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Goombas are Gremlin-like and grotesque.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unbeautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbeautiful. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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