ugly

adjective

ˈə-glē How to pronounce ugly (audio)
Definition of uglynext
1
as in hideous
unpleasant to look at her first attempt at painting was pretty ugly—a portrait of her sister that was not at all flattering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment an ugly suggestion for controlling the overpopulation of deer in the area

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 ugly Davidson struck me as being fearful, clinging to a handful of ugly stories about trans people as a sign of things to come in women-only spaces. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 And minutes after the 17-year-old pounced on a second-half mistake by Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, the game got ugly. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 How odd that your in-laws can call your bed old and ugly, but balk at insulting their neighbor’s castoffs by not using them. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026 There is a sweet communal thing on The Office that doesn’t get very ugly. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
  1. hideous
  2. disgusting
  3. grotesque
  4. awful
  5. unpleasing
  6. horrible
  7. unattractive
  8. sickening
Adjective
  • Alabama has been busily demonstrating that the reverse is true, following a string of hideous botched lethal injection executions with a series of no less gruesome executions with nitrogen suffocation.
    — Maya Foa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This puzzle is stuffed with nuance, pleasing crosses and a lot of simply terrific, ridiculously evocative stuff — for example, a jarring assortment of lovely trivia intersecting with some hideous ailments at more than one juncture.
    — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • People tend to think of waste as trash, sewage, slag, manure and other seemingly useless or disgusting substances.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The better to act out empire’s idea of what disgusting demonic sickness looks like.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • The choice of chartreuse — a borderline putrid shade of it, no less — walked an appropriate tightrope between glamorous and grotesque.
    — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Stumble upon grotesque, dead bodies, or be led, masked or blindfolded, to hidden rooms of ill repute.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of grotesque
Adjective
  • He was held back by something else, a feeling that some awful truth about his familiar, beloved world was now being revealed to him.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • His death was already sudden and awful, and the call was jarring and unexpected.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Part of it is never showing the more unattractive parts of her life.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026
  • There’s no need to worry about this setup looking ultra utilitarian or unattractive, either, the designer adds.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unattractive
Adjective
  • Beyond the ugly-duckling implications and the patent objectification and humiliation of women, the show’s portrayal of plastic surgery itself struck me as dark and sort of sickening.
    — Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sickening

Browse Nearby Words

ugliness
ugly
ukase
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All