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Synonyms

unlovely

American  
[uhn-luhv-lee] / ʌnˈlʌv li /

adjective

  1. not lovely; without beauty or charm.

  2. harsh or repellent in character; unpleasant; disagreeable; objectionable.


unlovely British  
/ ʌnˈlʌvlɪ /

adjective

  1. unpleasant in appearance

  2. unpleasant in character

"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 Word Forms

  • unloveliness noun

Etymology

Origin of unlovely

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; un- 1, lovely

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.

One of the two optimistic stories goes under the unlovely name of the “nonlinear Phillips curve.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2023

From its muted, unlovely color palette to its tightly controlled performances, everything it shows us is placed in rigorous service of brilliantly cascading questions and ideas: What are the cost and value of forgiveness?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2023

The point was, Poe deserved better; the most interesting plants do grow in the shade, unlovely and unloved.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2023

In the early 1980s, H. Gary Morse, a onetime ad man, took over his father’s mobile home park in an unlovely patch of Florida cow country.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 2022

It was a relief to escape all that refinement and beauty—to be allowed to be unlovely and not a point of contrast.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover