Ugly
/ˈʌɡ.li/noun
Unpleasant or unattractive in appearance.
Did you know?Ugly entered English from Old Norse and originally described something frightening or dreadful, showing how language can turn emotional terror into visual criticism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*ugjō
“Fear or dread; a reconstructed ancestral form associated with the word’s origin”
Old Norse
Old Norse
uggr
“Fear, dread, or apprehension”
Old Norse
Old Norse
uggligr
“Dreadful, frightening, or fear-inspiring”
13th Century
Middle English
uglik
“Ugly, horrible, or repulsive”
Modern English
English
ugly
“Unpleasant or unattractive in appearance”