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Uglily

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Idioms 0.02 sec.
ug·ly  (gl)
adj. ug·li·er, ug·li·est
1. Displeasing to the eye; unsightly.
2.
a. Repulsive or offensive; objectionable: an ugly remark.
b. Chiefly Southern U.S. Rude: Don't be ugly with me.
c. New England Unmanageable. Used of animals, especially cows or horses.
3. Morally reprehensible; bad.
4. Threatening or ominous: ugly black clouds.
5.
a. Likely to cause embarrassment or trouble: "Public opinion in both nations could take an ugly turn" (George R. Packard).
b. Marked by or inclined to anger or bad feelings; disagreeable: an ugly temper; an ugly scene.
n. pl. ug·lies Informal
One that is ugly.

[Middle English, frightful, repulsive, from Old Norse uggligr, from uggr, fear.]

ugli·ly adv.
ugli·ness n.
Synonyms: ugly, hideous, ill-favored, unsightly
These adjectives mean offensive to the sense of sight: ugly furniture; a hideous scar; an ill-favored countenance; an unsightly billboard.
Regional Note: The standard sense of the adjective ugly becomes figurative in the common expression an ugly temper. Regional American speech shares this figurative sense and makes it even more specific. In New England ugly as applied to animals, especially large farm animals such as cows and horses, means "balky, hard to manage." In the South, on the other hand, ugly with the specific sense of "rude" is used of persons: Don't be ugly, son. Interestingly, the word clever (senses 4 through 6) follows the same regional pattern as ugly: in New England the specialized senses refer to animals; in the South, to persons.


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