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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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The Anaheim Ducks’ captain took out the left leg of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews with a knee-on-knee hit during the second period Thursday night, one of the uglier hits of the 2025-26 season.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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But as the film quietly signals, a society’s obscenities are not aberrations, only parts of an ugly chapter in a long history.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kobabe conveys the quiet pain of being misgendered in ostensibly non-hostile environments and the fear of being perceived as inconvenient or rude.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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Even a bit rude and dismissive?—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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This person was a guest in your home, and her behavior comes off as ungracious.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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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
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Suddenly the whole thing seemed like a hideous dream.—
Elwyn "Bud" Myers,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
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One of most hideous images in American poetry, and yet one of the most memorable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Its ride came to an abrupt end when eventual state runner-up Green Mountain snubbed it in the second round.—
Alissa Noe,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
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Diplomatic missions around the world have previously burnt documents after abrupt closures or crisis situations.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The editorial board has offered tone-deaf takes on the Iran war detached from its grotesque, senseless reality.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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The airstrike, allegedly part of an offensive targeting an Iranian military complex nearby, provided a grotesque example of the horrors unfolding since the beginning of the US-Israel war on Iran late last month.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhandsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhandsome. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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