as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
along with thousands of other people, we entered our beloved pooch in a contest to find the homeliest dog in the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of homely
There is no fruit more poetic than the homely apple: Horticulturally, an apple is a kind of pome.
—
A.o. Scott, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
7.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
Eighteen months ago, the Jewish Museum London, which occupied an idiosyncratic, homely town house in Camden, where my wife and I used to take our kids on rainy weekends, closed its doors for lack of funding.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Her new homely passageway features a doormat, letterbox, a wreath made up of leaves and a plant.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for homely
A.o. Scott, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Here too, a bench with drawers (like the one seen here from Reform) provides a practical and homely solution.
7.
—Katharina Schwarze, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2025
Eighteen months ago, the Jewish Museum London, which occupied an idiosyncratic, homely town house in Camden, where my wife and I used to take our kids on rainy weekends, closed its doors for lack of funding.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Her new homely passageway features a doormat, letterbox, a wreath made up of leaves and a plant.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
Adjective
-
The biggest storyline in the series, however, has been all of the ugly hits and bad blood between the two state rivals.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Brinkley in her book describes one ugly scene when Joel, deep in his cups, ate a heap of spaghetti directly from a large pan on the stove, then vehemently kicked everyone out of the house for eating his pasta.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
-
PreSonus has also added something called a soft start circuit that stops the speakers from making the hideous thumping sound that some speakers can produce when they are turned on or off.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
It must be emphasized that these companies are not just enabling hideous criminal activity, but directly profiting from it.—
Aaron Ping,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
When caterpillars retreat to their cocoons, part of the process of transformation can be aesthetically unbecoming and grotesque.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Beyond the chaotic rise of every brood lies one of nature’s most grotesque manipulations — a horrid affair that keeps this species alive against the odds.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite currently trading at around $10, Guess stock appears fundamentally unattractive.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Germinated grass seed is usually unattractive to birds, although some birds are unpredictable, so the faster the seed germinates, the better.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share