1
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
a character actor with a distinctively craggy, unhandsome face
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rude
showing a lack of manners or consideration for others
in an interview the free-spoken actor made some unhandsome remarks about his costars
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of unhandsome
In the ’50s, almost all apparel sold in America was made in America, much of it in that blunt, unhandsome neighborhood halfway between Midtown and Chelsea, a patch of blocks less than a square mile, crammed daily with hundreds of thousands of workers.
—
Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhandsome
Adjective
-
The most expensive Republican primary for governor in Georgia history is still a dead heat despite a staggering avalanche of ad spending and one of the ugliest intraparty fights in recent memory.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meeting a partner’s family can be challenging in any circumstance; anxieties about a family member saying something rude or belittling can only compound that.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Coaches Dawn Staley of South Carolina and Geno Auriemma of UConn had a heated courtside exchange afterward as Auriemma, in character, complained about the officiating and proved an ungracious loser, but at least apologized a day later.—
Greg Cote
April 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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This person was a guest in your home, and her behavior comes off as ungracious.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The two hideous games between the Lakers and Rockets will likely come to mind relatively quickly, but the trend has been greater than just one series.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Such is a snarky line that Emily Blunt delivers as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, a character who would rather faint than wear something hideous.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her time as first lady came to an abrupt and dramatic close in November 2000, when her father fled to Japan amid mounting controversy, resigning the presidency by fax from Tokyo.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 May 2026
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No one wants to be abrupt and just hang up, but there might also be some one-upmanship lurking below the surface.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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Republicans, meanwhile, hated everything that Democrats loved about Obama and often tilted into grotesque smears.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Twelve-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi, who stars as young Michael Jackson in the first act of Antoine Fuqua’s grotesque biopic, does precisely that.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhandsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhandsome. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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