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.
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
While addressing troops, he downplayed his condition and said it was "totally benign" and "completely insignificant", adding: "Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye."
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
At best, participants in these spectacles fielded snarky jibes about outdated fashion and unsightly grooming; at worst, they were vulnerable to manipulation and torment from the experts tasked with overseeing their transformations.
From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026
It will host world leaders “without having to install a large and unsightly tent” outside, press secretary Karoline Leavitt says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
The trousers were big and bunched up when Obinze tightened his belt, but the jacket, also big, shielded this unsightly pleat of cloth at his waist.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
