unsightly
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unsightly
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at un- 1, sightly
Explanation
Unsightly is a gentler way of saying ugly. Often something that is described as unsightly sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise attractive environment. A yard full of weeds and broken-down cars in a well-groomed neighborhood is unsightly. Magazine advertisements highlight products that promise to remove or hide unsightly blemishes and scars, restoring your skin to its previous beauty.
Vocabulary lists containing unsightly
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 3
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Chains
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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.
See Examples For:
Many residents of Fisher Island—the second-wealthiest ZIP Code in the U.S. and home to about 800 residences—were happy to remove the fuel depot, which they consider unsightly and environmentally unsafe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt erected millions of square feet of unsightly buildings on the National Mall to house an expanded federal bureaucracy during the world wars.
From Slate ● May 18, 2026
As well as being unsightly, Derbyshire said that some types of litter - such as discarded vapes which include batteries - could pose a risk of "real damage" to cars.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
For Nathan Jubb algal blooming is not just unpleasant and unsightly but a financial problem.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026
The dent was unsightly, a two-inch crater in his forehead.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Driven by a vain love of swift traffic, she assails your ear with an incessant din and your eye with the unsightliest railroad that human ingenuity has ever contrived.
From American Sketches 1908 by Charles Whibley
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.
