1
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
a character actor with a distinctively craggy, unhandsome face
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rude
showing a lack of manners or consideration for others
in an interview the free-spoken actor made some unhandsome remarks about his costars
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Recent Examples of unhandsome
In the ’50s, almost all apparel sold in America was made in America, much of it in that blunt, unhandsome neighborhood halfway between Midtown and Chelsea, a patch of blocks less than a square mile, crammed daily with hundreds of thousands of workers.
—
Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhandsome
Adjective
-
The outcome was already decided – an ugly display of basketball that was never competitive – but potentially losing Doncic proverbially sucked the oxygen out of the visitors’ locker room after the game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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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.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rain, April’s rude house guest, visits erratically and unannounced.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Some lawyers think a video shows a Texas judge being rude to an IT worker.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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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
Adjective
-
This person was a guest in your home, and her behavior comes off as ungracious.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Charles’s actions then were interpreted, probably correctly, as a rebuke to Trump for his ungracious treatment of his guest, and also reminded international onlookers that the king remains the most political of monarchs, unafraid to make his favor—or displeasure—known.—
Alexander Larman,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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But once, my roommate had hung this hideous rack of dusty old spices above the stove.—
Alyse Whitney,
Saveur,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The store’s abrupt closing has been the latest setback for the polarizing business, which has faced a roller coaster of openings and closures over the past year.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The following morning brought an abrupt wake-up call.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The finale is a suitably grotesque affair with a body count that’s impressive even by genre standards.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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The two largest power conferences have bulked up to grotesque proportions, sprawling footprints and ravenous ambitions, thanks to the influence of TV partners Fox and ESPN.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhandsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhandsome. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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