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:
It performed “immensely well,” Curic said, even in a blizzard and after his team asked Wayve to shift sensors from an unsightly roof rack to the wing mirrors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 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
And while the Eagles rode the maneuver to a Super Bowl, the rest of the league found it so aggravating and unsightly that certain teams pushed unsuccessfully last year to ban it from the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
And he knew I was coming down the aisle right behind his unsightly tail.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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 Whibley, Charles
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.
