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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Watch on Hulu Queenie Queenie Jenkins (Dionne Brown) is a Jamaican-British twentysomething whose world is thrown into an upheaval following an ugly breakup with her boyfriend. Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024 Every single bag arrived perfectly functional but aesthetically defective, bearing ugly black streaks. Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Thompson Valley 6-0 3 W (6-0 at Severance) Comment: Nobody wins ugly better than Thompson Valley, which has now shut out four opponents but exceeded 24 points scored just once. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2024 Alcaraz won ugly without ever engaging first-class cabin status. Tim Ellis, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near ugly

Cite this Entry

“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugly. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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
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