Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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

Etymology

Origin of unlovely

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at 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.

It made for an unlovely municipal symbol, soaring but hardly graceful: the 800-foot-tall Soviet-era television tower that was for decades a familiar signature in the skyline of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

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

From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2023

A hope emerged that building new towns might be an alternative for unlovely and unloved city neighborhoods and for soulless peripheral subdivisions.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2021

In this unlovely flat, I found myself deliriously happy.

From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2021

Yet to no heart in all the host came any fear that the Wild Men were unfaithful, strange and unlovely though they might appear.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien