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View synonyms for

ugly

[ uhg-lee ]

adjective

uglier, ugliest.
  1. very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. disagreeable; unpleasant; objectionable:

    ugly tricks;

    ugly discords.

  3. morally revolting:

    ugly crime.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

  4. threatening trouble or danger:

    ugly symptoms.

    Synonyms: ,

  5. mean; hostile; quarrelsome:

    an ugly mood;

    an ugly frame of mind.

    Synonyms: ,

  6. (especially of natural phenomena) unpleasant or dangerous:

    ugly weather;

    an ugly sea.

    Synonyms: ,



ugly

/ ˈʌɡɪ /

adjective

  1. of unpleasant or unsightly appearance
  2. repulsive, objectionable, or displeasing in any way

    war is ugly

  3. ominous or menacing

    an ugly situation

  4. bad-tempered, angry, or sullen

    an ugly mood

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܲ, adverb
  • ˈܲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲl· adverb
  • ܲl·Ա noun
  • p·ܲl adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ugly1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ugly, uglike, from Old Norse uggligr “fearful, dreadful,” equivalent to ugg(r) “fear” + -ligr -ly
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ugly1

C13: from Old Norse uggligr dreadful, from ugga fear
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Idioms and Phrases

  • rear its ugly head
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I grew up moving every few years with my family, so suitcases were ugly reminders of the moves ahead for us.

From

The second Trump presidency, in this view, will be an especially ugly form of normal politics, and then the pendulum will swing back in customary fashion.

From

The YouTuber delightedly holds up a brown plush monster, which has been described by collectors as "cute", "ugly", "creepy" and everything in between.

From

"We're not going to do the wind thing," Trump said at the time, calling them "big, ugly windmills" that were dangerous to wildlife.

From

Still another told me I was brave because that was “too long,” and buried issues would start to rear their ugly heads.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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