as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
along with thousands of other people, we entered our beloved pooch in a contest to find the homeliest dog in the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of homely
Like that terrible, homely, orange curly-haired nurse, with orange polyester and bad glasses.
—
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
The homely atmosphere is complemented by genuinely warm service, making guests feel more like visiting friends than restaurant patrons.
—Lela London, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
The firms today have innocuous, homely names such as Dave.com and Brigit; their websites are adorned with stock photos of young people and families evidently basking in the relief of a short-term financial crisis averted.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024
Over-collars with homely top-stitching details look like something out of The Scarlet Letter.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for homely 
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
The homely atmosphere is complemented by genuinely warm service, making guests feel more like visiting friends than restaurant patrons.
—Lela London, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
The firms today have innocuous, homely names such as Dave.com and Brigit; their websites are adorned with stock photos of young people and families evidently basking in the relief of a short-term financial crisis averted.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024
Over-collars with homely top-stitching details look like something out of The Scarlet Letter.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
Adjective
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Since winning at Boise State on Jan. 4 and blowing out Air Force at home four days later, the season had become a grind – a double-digit loss at New Mexico, a rare home loss against UNLV, a string of ugly wins against the Mountain West’s bottom-feeders after overcoming dangerously large deficits.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
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Aside from being ugly, your chocolate will be grainy and crumbly and a little sad.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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The result was good for the Jayhawks, as the Cyclones shot a hideous 1-for-12 (11%) from long range.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2025
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Rust is a big deal, as is the fact that many Panteras have been mangled by previous owners bestowing hideous enhancements (think bad celebrity plastic surgery) on otherwise desirable cars.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Werfel concocted a more tortuous explanation for his wife’s grotesque behavior.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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Janacek’s Capriccio is a strange hybrid of lyricism and grotesque shocks of color.—
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Faced with the unattractive alternative of continuing to fight without the assurance of further U.S. backing, Kyiv and its Western partners are now considering how to secure an acceptable deal with Moscow.—
Alexandra Prokopenko,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Jan. 2025
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And, second, a pruned crepe myrtle simply leaves you with unattractive stumps all winter long.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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