Word
unsightly
Phoneticsun·sight·ly
US/ənˈsaɪtɫi/
UK/ʌnsˈaɪtli/
Definition
adj. not attractive or pleasant to look at. You use this to describe things that are messy, ugly, or make a place look bad.
adj. unpleasant or unattractive in appearance. Often used to describe physical structures, litter, or visual clutter that detracts from an environment's aesthetic appeal.
Examples
“The old, rusty fence is an unsightly eyesore.”
“The city council voted to remove the unsightly scaffolding from the historic building to improve the street view.”
“While the new industrial park brought jobs to the area, the lack of landscaping left the concrete walls looking unsightly against the surrounding green fields.”
Examples
simple
“The old, rusty fence is an unsightly eyesore.”
contextual
“The city council voted to remove the unsightly scaffolding from the historic building to improve the street view.”
complex
“While the new industrial park brought jobs to the area, the lack of landscaping left the concrete walls looking unsightly against the surrounding green fields.”
Real-World Examples
“Advanced gum disease and tooth decay can in themselves be painful, as well as smelly and unsightly.” Etymology
From un- + sightly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/unsightly