Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

ugh

American  
[ookh, uhkh, uh, oo, uhg] / ʊx, ʌx, ʌ, ʊ, ʌg /

interjection

  1. (used as an exclamation expressing disgust, aversion, horror, or the like.)

noun

  1. the sound of a cough, grunt, or the like.

ugh British  
/ ʊx, ʊh, ʌh /

interjection

  1. an exclamation of disgust, annoyance, or dislike

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ugh

First recorded in 1670–80, of expressive origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Nobody would look at that and say, ugh, you’re going to have a lot of defaults,” Ostrover said.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

“There’s a funny moment when you realize that as an activist: The off-ramp out of extreme poverty is, ugh, commerce, it’s entrepreneurial capitalism.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

It also makes Nancy’s suspicions more difficult to disprove, hence the crawl-through-the-window plan instead of, say, unlocking an iPhone — ugh!

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2025

I mean, 45 minutes to an hour, stirring angry — ugh.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 12, 2024

“Enough now. We, ugh, have to assess first.”

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.