1
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
a character actor with a distinctively craggy, unhandsome face
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Many quite authentic Natives were targeted for banishment, and the ugly infighting their work inspired was covered widely—by the standards of Indian affairs—in the American media, which saw the battles as part of the larger identity wars raging across the nation in the new millennium.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Currently, the Police Oversight office allows complainants to resolve more minor complaints, like when an officer is rude, by asking that the officer's supervisor to talk to them about their conduct.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Asking a neighbor to shovel their side of the sidewalk is not inherently rude.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
12 Jan. 2026
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
-
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
-
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
-
But, even though there was nothing the slightest bit ungracious or ungenerous about her performance, it was felt more like the audience being asked to come to her.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Such jars of moldy fruit were probably fairly hideous to consume.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
He was originally signed as a depth linebacker but was forced into the starting lineup following the abrupt departure of Josey Jewell before training camp.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
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The abrupt vote, however, sparked near-immediate backlash from the community.—
Erika Stanish,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Those artists never stopped creating scenes that captured the vibrancy—and sometimes the more grotesque side too—of places that remain world capitals today.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The grotesque charade didn’t seem to belong to this world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unhandsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhandsome. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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