[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/ugly/)

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# ugly

adjective (ugly, uglier, ugliest)

«ugly» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Ugly means not nice to look at. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#m1)
2. Ugly can describe something nasty, unpleasant or violent, like an ugly fight or an ugly mood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#m2)
3. Ugly can describe something that looks dangerous, like an ugly cut or ugly storm clouds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories, «The Ugly Duckling» teaches that looks can change and do not show who someone really is. In kindness and anti-bullying lessons, calling someone ugly is hurtful and unkind. In everyday life, «things turned ugly» means a situation became nasty. Phrases: «turn ugly», «ugly duckling», «ugly mood», «an ugly cut».

### Examples

- The ugly duckling grew into a beautiful swan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x1)
- That old building is really ugly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x2)
- Calling people ugly is unkind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x3)
- The argument turned ugly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x4)
- He had an ugly cut on his knee. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x5)
- The sky looked ugly before the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x6)
- The troll was the ugliest creature in the forest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x7)
- She wore an ugly jumper for fun. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x8)
- "What an ugly creature he is!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/#x9)

### Note

Comparative: uglier, ugliest (y changes to i). Ugly is a strong word; to be kinder people say «not very nice-looking». In stories, an ugly character is not always bad: the lesson is not to judge by looks.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ugly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/ugly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ugly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ugly.html) on Mova free.