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Definition of ugly adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ugly

adjective
 
/ˈʌɡli/
 
/ˈʌɡli/
(comparative uglier, superlative ugliest)
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  1. unpleasant to look at synonym unattractive
    • an ugly face
    • an ugly building
    • an ugly scar
    • The witch was hideously ugly.
    • Why do some of our government buildings look ugly?
    Extra Examples
    • Jane was a great beauty, but I was always considered to be the ugly sister.
    • The room was full of heavy, ugly furniture.
    • The screaming child in her arms was an ugly little thing.
    Topics Appearanceb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • feel
    • look
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    See full entry
  2. (of an event, a situation, etc.) unpleasant or dangerous; involving threats or violence
    • an ugly incident/scene
    • There were ugly scenes in the streets last night as rioting continued.
    • A fight started and things got pretty ugly.
    • the latest cinematic effort to lay bare the ugly truth about Hollywood
    • the ugly realities of war
    • Very quickly, the mood turned ugly.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • sound
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    See full entry
  3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse uggligr ‘to be dreaded’, from ugga ‘to dread’.
See ugly in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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