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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ugly
Stocks will begin Thursday modestly lower after an ugly downside reversal the previous session.
—
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Play of the Day Baker adjusts deep: As the starting offense began U-turning from an ugly start to 11-on-11s, young receiver Javon Baker sprinted down the right sideline and gained a half-step on Gonzalez.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 21 May 2025
Trump's 'big, ugly bill': People will die 08:32 AM EDT
What are the requirements for Medicaid under the budget bill?
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
The Orioles fell to the Nationals, 10-4, in another ugly loss Sunday afternoon.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Play of the Day Baker adjusts deep: As the starting offense began U-turning from an ugly start to 11-on-11s, young receiver Javon Baker sprinted down the right sideline and gained a half-step on Gonzalez.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 21 May 2025
Trump's 'big, ugly bill': People will die 08:32 AM EDT
What are the requirements for Medicaid under the budget bill?
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
The Orioles fell to the Nationals, 10-4, in another ugly loss Sunday afternoon.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ugly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ugly
Adjective
-
But Eleanor has backed herself into an awful corner, and in some ways, so too has Johansson’s film, which is stuck trying to impart sage wisdom through the lens of a truly hideous (if well-meaning) lie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
-
There are no save-the-cat redemptions for a man who became famous for torturing, murdering and performing hideous experiments on countless Jews as part of a team of doctors overseeing medical services at Auschwitz-Birkenau.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
But unfortunately, that also means Big Mouth, the cartoon about all the disgusting, messy parts of growing up from Nick Kroll, must also conclude as well.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
19 May 2025
-
Donning silly British accents, Johansson joins Gardner, Fineman, and Sherman for a disgusting and messy meal.—
Andy Hoglund Updated,
EW.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
However sincere and dedicated Bianca Cline’s efforts are, there’s something grotesque about hiring a second cinematographer to attempt to reproduce Hutchins’s style, and something perverse about digitally pasting an actor’s face on another’s in order to maintain continuity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
-
It’s stylized, grotesque — and apparently, mother-repellent.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and can damage anything with plastic in it, like synthetic clothing and camping gear.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
-
But Eleanor has backed herself into an awful corner, and in some ways, so too has Johansson’s film, which is stuck trying to impart sage wisdom through the lens of a truly hideous (if well-meaning) lie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
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
-
There’s no doubt that Lewis, abandoned as a baby by his parents, has done some horrible stuff.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2025
-
What happened to Simone as a child is horrible, and in her brain, she is therefore absolved of having anything to do with her father.—
Lauren Coates,
Variety,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Investors face weak incentives: the existence of other storage solutions and absence of a capacity market have made BESS projects financially unattractive.—
María Mendiluce,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
The commencement speech is an increasingly unattractive gig to many high-profile speakers, said David Murray, the executive director of the Professional Speechwriters Association.—
Callie Holtermann,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But the defense is hoping to cast her recollections merely as sickening details in a deranged love story between two consenting and jealous adults.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
-
For years, raw sewage from Mexico has poured across the border into Southern California, fouling beaches, sickening residents and sparking diplomatic as well as environmental concerns.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ugly. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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