UNBEAUTIFUL Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

unbeautiful

adjective

ˌən-ˈbyü-ti-fəl

Definition of unbeautiful

as in ugly

unpleasant to look at a makeshift shelter that was unbeautiful perhaps, but it kept us out of the rain

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unbeautiful Then over the Pont de la Concorde, an unbeautiful bridge that holds great historical significance. — Anna Hartley, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2022 But it is often done in some very unbeautiful circumstances, for low wages, and in unhealthy work environments. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2022 Buddhism was born under a giant fig tree, which, today, grows at the center of the remote and unbeautiful town of Bodh Gaya, in India’s destitute northeastern state of Bihar. — Paul Salopek, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2019 These things are for the unbeautiful, the uneducated, the uncouth. — Dwight Garner, New York Times, 21 June 2017 Our sound, right now, is going to be the most blatant way of saying things -- the most unbeautiful, realistic lyrics. — Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, 20 June 2017 Will magnificent objects suffer if they are found to have unbeautiful back stories? — Holland Cotter, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbeautiful

Adjective

The seventh-round rookie threw an ugly interception in the first quarter, while backpedaling and off his back foot.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Several leading Democrats, including Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, issued statements denouncing Piker’s ugly warning to the Jews as a barely veiled anti-Semitic threat.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of ugly

Adjective

The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.

— Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026

Definition of unpleasing

Adjective

The bizarre and grotesque outcome is that the repressiveness of the state proves to be its own reward.

— Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Midge's grotesque, defiant nature challenged societal norms, solidifying her as a pioneering and powerful figure in comics.

— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of grotesque

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unbeaten

unbeautiful

unbecoming

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“Unbeautiful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbeautiful. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unbeautiful

adjective

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