1
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
a character actor with a distinctively craggy, unhandsome face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 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
-
Putting to one side any uglier consequences of illness or less fixable emotional wounds, the film follows suit — though there’s only a glancing sense here that death is for life, not just for Christmas.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Monday's matchup was one of the ugliest games of the year for the Eagles, committing five costly turnovers in the 22-19 loss.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Leave the situation without worrying about seeming rude.—
Taylor Haught,
Miami Herald,
6 Dec. 2025
-
While Afrofuturism shares in the Black utopian ideal, the Black utopic ultimately exceeds it because of its rude demand for the possibilities of the here and now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Coaches Dawn Staley of South Carolina and Geno Auriemma of UConn had a heated courtside exchange afterward as Auriemma, in character, complained about the officiating and proved an ungracious loser, but at least apologized a day later.—
Greg Cote
April 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
This person was a guest in your home, and her behavior comes off as ungracious.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
This used to be a death knell—the shoes that fit the bill were hideous until a few years ago.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to a new study, Antarctica is at risk of abrupt and potentially irreversible changes to its ice, ocean, and ecosystems that could have profound implications for Australia and beyond.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Greatest-athlete-of-all-time Serena Williams and I have just started talking over Zoom when everything comes to an abrupt halt.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
His depictions of Kali, in particular, seem preoccupied with violent power, rendered through large and grotesque forms.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
4 June 2026
-
The contemporary entertainment industry pushes that logic into nearly grotesque territory, as film and TV productions compete against 24/7 internet feeds and a rapidly changing meme dialect designed to always leave someone out of the loop.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhandsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhandsome. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
