Ugly
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈʌgli/
- Rhymes: -ÊŒgli
Alternative forms
- ougly obsolete
Origin
From Middle English ugly, uggely, uglike, from Old Norse uggligr ("fearful, dreadful, horrible in appearance"), from uggr ("fear, apprehension, dread") (possibly related to agg ("strife, hate")), equivalent to ug + -ly. Cognate with Scots ugly, uglie, Icelandic ugglegur. Meaning softened to "very unpleasant to look at" around the late 14th century, and sense of "morally offensive" attested from around 1300.
Full definition of ugly
Adjective
ugly
- Displeasing to the eye; not aesthetically pleasing.
- Spenserthe ugly view of his deformed crimes
- William ShakespeareO, I have passed a miserable night,
So full of ugly sights, of ghastly dreams. - Displeasing to the ear or some other sense.
- Offensive to one's sensibilities or morality.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 12, All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.
- He played an ugly trick on us.
- Ill-natured; crossgrained; quarrelsome.an ugly temper; to feel ugly
- Unpleasant; disagreeable; likely to cause trouble or loss.an ugly rumour; an ugly customer
Related terms
Synonyms
- (displeasing to the eye) hideous, homely, repulsive, unattractive, uncomely, unsightly
- (displeasing to the ear or some other sense) displeasing, repulsive, unattractive
- (offensive to one's sensibilities or morality) corrupt, immoral, vile
Antonyms
- (displeasing to the eye) attractive, beautiful, gorgeous, handsome, pretty, sightly
- (displeasing to the ear or some other sense) attractive, pleasing
- (offensive to one's sensibilities or morality) moral