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
: in an ugly manner
was acting ugly
Synonyms
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
Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
San Francisco is coming off an ugly loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and is in must-win mode with the team boasting a 3-4 record.
—Vincent Frank, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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 
Adjective
The latest: The negotiations are getting ugly as the pressure ramps up from disgruntled fans.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
San Francisco is coming off an ugly loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and is in must-win mode with the team boasting a 3-4 record.
—Vincent Frank, Forbes, 25 Oct. 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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ugly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ugly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ugly. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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