unlovely

adjective

ˌən-ˈləv-lē How to pronounce unlovely (audio)
Definition of unlovelynext
1
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses Sunday night is often spoiled by the unlovely thought of having to go back to school or work the next morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at an unlovely but efficient little machine

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 unlovely Now the future is here, a hulking mass on an unlovely corner at the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood, surrounded by luxury apartments and empty lots. — Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025 It was supposed to belong to no other region, a geographic leftover to which the unlovely work of government could be relegated. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Aug. 2025 The Bible teaches that God is Love – infinite and always available, with no unlovely or unloving element. — Larissa Snorek, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025 In so doing, the state has taken a wholly worthwhile cause — the cause of individual choice — and sullied it with an unlovely combination of hypocrisy and two-bit protectionism. — The Editors, National Review, 7 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for unlovely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unlovely
  1. unpleasant
  2. ugly
  3. unpleasing
  4. hideous
  5. harsh
  6. grotesque
  7. bad
  8. nasty
Adjective
  • While some may be looking for more reasons to eat cookies, many more are simply hesitating to eat salads and other fresh produce amid a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, known for that unpleasant symptom, among others.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Principal owner John Middleton recently discussed the challenging decision to dismiss longtime manager Rob Thomson, admitting that terminating employees remains the most difficult and unpleasant aspect of his executive role, even after decades.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ugly
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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • Illiteracy, and its centuries-long ongoing epidemic, is hideous.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • The ace endured a rocky start punctuated by a hideous 11-run blowup in Minnesota and has now been sidelined with a shoulder injury since April 26.
    — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • The couple made sure the design included a basement where the kids could spend time, better insulation to handle South Dakota’s harsh weather and plenty of storage — all features their previous home lacked.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Those are some of the harsh conditions that detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody described experiencing in recent weeks at the Federal Detention Center, a Bureau of Prisons facility located in a concrete tower in downtown Miami.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • There are other moments in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey that are as beautiful as this scene is grotesque.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • On view at New York’s Management Gallery, the exhibition treats the grotesque as an aesthetic on the verge of mutation.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of grotesque
Adjective
  • The situation is particularly bad in France, which has already recorded more than 300 wildfires this year, compared to an annual average of 93, according to the EFFIS.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Anderson’s injury record is slightly worse by virtue of a stress fracture in his back that kept him out for four months in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but over the two subsequent campaigns both have been near-constantly available.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • In Michigan alone, more than 7,000 have fallen ill with the nasty foodborne disease, which causes severe diarrhea, and comes from exposure to a parasite in contaminated water used to wash or irrigate crops.
    — Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Europe has been consumed by a nasty fire season this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of nasty

Browse Nearby Words

unloveliness
unlovely
unloving
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Cite this Entry

“Unlovely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unlovely. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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