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ug·ly (ŭglē)
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adj. ug·li·er, ug·li·est
1. Displeasing to the eye; unsightly.
2.
a. Repulsive or offensive; objectionable: an ugly remark.
b. Chiefly Southern US Rude: Don't be ugly with me.
c. New England Unmanageable. Used of animals, especially cows or horses.
3. Morally reprehensible; bad.
4. Threatening or ominous: ugly black clouds.
5.
a. Likely to cause embarrassment or trouble: "Public opinion in both nations could take an ugly turn" (George R. Packard).
b. Marked by or inclined to anger or bad feelings; disagreeable: an ugly temper; an ugly scene.
n. pl. ug·lies
Informal
One that is ugly.
[Middle English, frightful, repulsive, from Old Norse uggligr, from uggr, fear.]
ugli·ly adv.
ugli·ness n.
Synonyms: ugly, grotesque, hideous, ill-favored, unsightly
These adjectives mean offensive to the sense of sight: ugly furniture; a grotesque monster; a hideous scar; an ill-favored countenance; an unsightly billboard.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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