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ugly

[ uhg-lee ]
/ ˈʌg li /
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See synonyms for: ugly / ugliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, ug·li·er, ug·li·est.
very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance.
disagreeable; unpleasant; objectionable: ugly tricks; ugly discords.
morally revolting: ugly crime.
threatening trouble or danger: ugly symptoms.
mean; hostile; quarrelsome: an ugly mood; an ugly frame of mind.
(especially of natural phenomena) unpleasant or dangerous: ugly weather; an ugly sea.
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Origin of ugly

1200–50; Middle English ugly, uglike<Old Norse uggligr fearful, dreadful, equivalent to ugg(r) fear + -ligr-ly

OTHER WORDS FROM ugly

ug·li·ly, adverbug·li·ness, nounsu·per·ug·ly, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ugly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ugly

ugly
/ (ˈʌɡlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest
of unpleasant or unsightly appearance
repulsive, objectionable, or displeasing in any waywar is ugly
ominous or menacingan ugly situation
bad-tempered, angry, or sullenan ugly mood

Derived forms of ugly

uglily, adverbugliness, noun

Word Origin for ugly

C13: from Old Norse uggligr dreadful, from ugga fear
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with ugly

ugly

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