ugly

1 of 2

adjective

ug·​ly ˈə-glē How to pronounce ugly (audio)
uglier; ugliest
1
a
: offensive to the sight : hideous
b
: offensive or unpleasant to any sense
2
: morally offensive or objectionable
corruption—the ugliest stain of all
3
a
: likely to cause inconvenience or discomfort
the ugly truth
b
: surly, quarrelsome
an ugly disposition
4
uglily adverb

ugly

2 of 2

adverb

: in an ugly manner
was acting ugly

Examples of ugly in a Sentence

Adjective an ugly shade of green They avoided what could have been an ugly situation. He has an ugly disposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
This included industrialization, and, with it, the conception of leisure as a way of allowing people to recuperate from work with a temporary escape from the ugly, unhealthy atmosphere of the city. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 Mar. 2025 Plus, with fewer games, an ugly two weeks in the NBA usually signals a five-alarm fire and overreactions. Shane Young, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Adverb
If Texas Tech gets off to a quick start, this could turn ugly quickly for the Jayhawks. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2025 For all the glowing up that happens in front of your bathroom mirror, figuring out how to unclog a bathroom sink can get ugly quick. Mike Miller, Architectural Digest, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ugly

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old Norse uggligr, from uggr fear; akin to Old Norse ugga to fear

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ugly was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugly. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

ugly

adjective
ug·​ly
ˈəg-lē
uglier; ugliest
1
: horrid or unpleasant especially to the sight : unsightly, hideous
2
3
a
: likely to cause bother or discomfort : troublesome
an ugly situation
b
: quarrelsome
an ugly disposition
ugliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ugly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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