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:
Most notably, “Practical Magic 2” is kneecapped by a fatal flaw that plagues almost all of these legacy sequels, but this one especially: It’s positively unsightly to look at.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
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
For Nathan Jubb algal blooming is not just unpleasant and unsightly but a financial problem.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026
To wrap a basketball, for example, you’d need to crumple the paper in a horrible mess or cut many pieces and tape them together with unsightly overlaps.
From Slate ● Jan. 21, 2026
Cement walls were erected to hide the most unsightly shantytowns from the eyes of tourists and others who preferred not to see them.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
