ugly

B1 · Intermediate

adj. unpleasant, mean, or likely to involve violence.

adj. morally offensive, threatening, or likely to result in conflict or danger.

“The argument turned ugly when they started shouting at each other.”

“The mood in the crowd turned ugly as the protesters realised the police were not going to let them pass the barricade.”

C1 · Advanced American English · Dialect

adj. behaving in a mean or angry way.

adj. exhibiting an ill-natured, quarrelsome, or cross-grained temperament.

“Don't be so ugly to your sister; she was only trying to help.”

“He had a reputation for getting ugly after a few drinks, often picking fights with total strangers for no reason.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Informal · Slang

n. a person or thing that is not pleasant to look at.

n. a person or object perceived as aesthetically displeasing.

“He felt like a bit of an ugly standing next to the famous models.”

“The critic dismissed the new sculpture as a total ugly, claiming it ruined the harmony of the park.”

C2 · Proficiency Informal

v. to make something look worse or less beautiful.

v. to render something aesthetically displeasing; frequently used with the particle 'up'.

“The new billboards really ugly up the view of the mountains.”

“The developers were accused of trying to ugly up the neighbourhood to drive down property prices before buying more land.”