ugly
[ uhg-lee ]
/ ˈʌg li /
Save This Word!
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.
OTHER WORDS FOR ugly
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
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, nounWord 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.