# ugly American

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/ugly-american
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An American government representative, tourist, or businessperson who, in dealing with people of other nations, is haughty, rude, meddlesome, chauvinistic, or jingoistic.

## Examples

- The tourist acted like an ugly American at the local market.
- He behaves like an ugly American when he ignores local customs.
- His loud complaints about the local food made him look like a classic ugly American to the other travelers.
- The diplomat was careful not to act like an ugly American while discussing the new trade laws with the foreign ministers.
- She feared that her boss would play the role of the ugly American by criticizing the small village's lack of modern technology.
- By demanding that the local staff speak only English, the businessman embodied the worst traits of the ugly American during his overseas assignment.

## Origin

The term originates from the 1958 novel The Ugly American by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick. In the source text, the titular character is described as physically unattractive but remains morally upright, a nuance that has since been discarded in the wider English lexicon.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.