unsightly

[ uhn-sahyt-lee ]

adjective

, un·sight·li·er, un·sight·li·est.

1. distasteful or unpleasant to look at:

   an unsightly wound; unsightly disorder.

   Synonyms: unattractive, disagreeable, ugly

   Antonyms: beautiful

unsightly

/ ʌnˈsaɪtlɪ /

adjective

1. unpleasant or unattractive to look at; ugly

Derived Forms

• unˈsightliness, noun

Other Words From

• un·sightli·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unsightly¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; un- ¹, sightly

Example Sentences

Soon, mounds of unsightly sargassum – carried by currents from the Sargasso Sea and linked to climate change – were carpeting the region’s prized coastlines, repelling holidaymakers with the pungent stench emitted as it rots.

From BBC

The influx has raised the ire of many neighbors, who complain about unsightly tarps, trash raw sewage and crime, even as the camps are essential housing for thousands of people.

From Los Angeles Times

Being bitten by a mosquito can result in an itchy, unsightly red bump and — depending on where you are — serious disease.

From Los Angeles Times

Visitors said it had become ‘unsightly,’ and so the arm was incinerated and buried.

From Seattle Times

Even so, unsightly losses in a six-month baseball season are inevitable, particularly those against a surging opponent punctuating a seven-game road trip.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• drab
• hideous
• ugly
• unattractive