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
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
an ugly scar
an ugly scene
an ugly truth
an ugly word
an ugly picture
an unattractive picture
an unlovely picture
an unpleasant picture
an unappealing picture
a hideous picture
Examples 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
Particularly because Charmaine is locked in an ugly custody battle for the twins with Calvin (David Cubitt).
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
After yet another ugly showing, that’s the question Yzerman may have to spend his holiday pondering.
—Max Bultman, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Before us, Aghdam, once a vibrant urban hub, exposed the ugly scars of war.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
And isn't that the thing that's been missing, the ability to win ugly, to grit through a tough moment?
—Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ugly 
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
After yet another ugly showing, that’s the question Yzerman may have to spend his holiday pondering.
—Max Bultman, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Before us, Aghdam, once a vibrant urban hub, exposed the ugly scars of war.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
And isn't that the thing that's been missing, the ability to win ugly, to grit through a tough moment?
—Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
-
Both the Hatter and the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) get boilerplate tragic origins in a cluttered plot that’s drowned out by the hideous, oppressive visual effects.Josh Bell, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
-
No abstract theory regardless of how sincerely held should impede or distract from that hideous, concrete real-world reality.Caroline Frost, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Most modern bloodsuckers are not this profoundly physically disgusting.Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024
-
Jones had used Infowars to spread some of the most disturbing and disgusting lies and conspiracy theories into the public discourse.Hadas Gold, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
An atmospheric art style is complemented by perfectly tuned puzzles, delightful theme park staging, and grotesque enemies, offering something both challenging and rewarding.Matt Gardner, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
-
Kenneth McMillan effectively plays the grotesque patriarch Baron Vladimir for laughs, creating a jarring contrast with the character's casual cruelty.Richard Edwards, Space.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Her awful journey is a raging scream against the patriarchy and a biting critique of how women are viewed, especially by other women.The Week US, theweek, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Murray’s magic trick Murray’s uncanny ability to transform awful individual performances into timely heat checks and cold-blooded game-winners is one of life’s great mysteries.Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
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
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.SI.com, SI.com, 1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
-
The discourse will take the horrible transition from the coronation of 2024 to the unfair new expectations of 2025.Brody Miller, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
-
Much like in that previous doc, this is a record of some of the most turbulent, heart-wrenching, and anxiety-inducing years in the country’s history, specifically the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro and his horrible administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s so great in the book, having that perspective on somebody’s darkest, deepest, most unattractive, unflattering thoughts.Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2024
-
The once objectively unattractive 53-year-old has drastically altered his appearance with a very obvious hair transplant.Alexandra Bregman, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Los Angeles County is suing the owner of Chiquita Canyon Landfill for failing to control a high-temperature chemical reaction that is cooking garbage and sickening nearby residents.Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
-
And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to ugly
Thesaurus Entries Near ugly
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share