ugly

adjective
UK: /ˈʌɡ.li/
US: /ˈʌɡ.li/

  1. Unpleasant to look at; not attractive.

    1. That is one ugly car I saw yesterday in the shop. [ ] [ ]
    2. The building's ugly facade made it stand out among the historical landmarks. [ ] [ ]

  2. Morally offensive or shocking.

    1. The ugly truth is that nobody wanted to help him with this problem. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician's ugly comments sparked outrage and protests across the country. [ ] [ ]

  3. Potentially dangerous or unpleasant.

    1. Things could get ugly if we don't find a solution very soon to this issue. [ ] [ ]
    2. The negotiations took an ugly turn when both parties began using aggressive tactics. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

hideous offensive repulsive disgusting unattractive

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "ugly" in English means: Unpleasant to look at; not attractive., Morally offensive or shocking., Potentially dangerous or unpleasant..

The phonetic transcription of "ugly" is /ˈʌɡ.li/ in British English and /ˈʌɡ.li/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "ugly": hideous, offensive, repulsive, disgusting, unattractive.

Example usage of "ugly": "That is one ugly car I saw yesterday in the shop.". More examples on the page.