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unpretty

unpretty

1 5.0
Not pleasant to look at or to be part of
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈprɪti/
translation icon : poco atractivo
  • His photographs often captured the unpretty realities of urban life.

Examples

  • Rebecca's not a pretty woman, but not unpretty either.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • No matter how unpretty a spectacle it was for them.

    Blog text (6)
  • That's too unpretty.

  • I felt like every moment of my life that I've ever felt unpretty was erased with Lance's affections.

    Blog text (20)
  • Just by sitting, she projected grievance, the unfairness of being large and unpretty, and having a sister who'd been raped and murdered and pushed into a ditch off a county road.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • He favored his right arm, and the uneven strokes tended to send the skull into an unpretty series of connected arcs, but at least he was moving.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The abandoned house looked unpretty after years of neglect and overgrown weeds.

  • She wore an unpretty frown as she listened to the harsh criticisms from her peers.

Synonyms

ugly
vsunpretty
866 1.0

Not pleasant to look at

is similar but also signals lack of pleasant character or situation
hideous
vsunpretty
171 5.1

Very ugly and likely to make people feel shocked or disgusted

is less intense, covering ordinary unpleasant or ugly appearances
uncool
vsunpretty
  • Informal
40 7.4

Not fashionable or popular and thought boring

centres on unpleasantness or ugliness, not social acceptance
unattractive
vsunpretty
37 1.8

Not pleasant to look at or to the senses

is the same idea but also covers unpleasant character or situations
unappealing
vsunpretty
15 4.1

Not attractive, pleasant, or interesting

focuses more on being unpleasant in appearance, character, or situation
unsightly
vsunpretty
15 4.5

Unpleasant to look at

is similar but also covers unpleasant character or situations
unglamorous
vsunpretty
4 5.4

Not attractive or exciting and often plain

stresses being unpleasant or ugly, not only lacking glamour
ugly as sin
vsunpretty
  • Offensive
2 7.2

Very unpleasant to look at or to be with

is similar but usually milder, covering general unpleasant or ugly cases
unprepossessing
vsunpretty
1 8.2

Not attractive or impressive to look at

includes neutral impressions but also stronger unpleasant or ugly senses
unbeautiful
vsunpretty
1 6.2

Not attractive in looks or style

adds that the thing can also be unpleasant in character or situation
ill-favored
vsunpretty
  • US
1 8.0

Not attractive to look at, especially in the face

is wider, applying to whole appearance, character, or situations too
unlovely
vsunpretty
1 6.0

Not attractive and unpleasant to see or hear

is broader, also covering unpleasant character or unappealing situations
unhandsome
vsunpretty
1 6.6

Not attractive to look at

is broader and can include unpleasantness beyond physical looks
unaesthetic
vsunpretty
1 8.1

Not pleasant to look at

broadens this to include unpleasant people or situations as well
uncharming
vsunpretty
1 4.5

Not pleasant to be with or attractive to look at

is similar but more often used for general unpleasantness or ugliness
unstylish
vsunpretty
1 3.7

Not fashionable or elegant in appearance

is about being unpleasant or ugly, not simply unfashionable
uncute
vsunpretty
  • Informal
1 7.0

Not attractive or charming in an obvious way

is broader, including general unpleasantness, not only lack of cuteness
unalluring
vsunpretty
6.8

Not attractive or interesting

can mean that and also signal active unpleasantness or ugliness
unfavored
vsunpretty
  • US
5.3

Not attractive to look at

is broader and may stress unpleasant character or situation too
unshapely
vsunpretty
6.7

A person or thing that looks awkward and not pleasing to the eye

covers that but also other kinds of unpleasant appearance or character
unchic
vsunpretty
8.0

Not fashionable or stylish, often plain and old-fashioned

focuses on being unpleasant or ugly, not only unfashionable
unglossy
vsunpretty
5.5

Plain and not made to look stylish or perfect

is about being unpleasant or ugly, not just unpolished style
tatty
vsunpretty
  • UK
7.4

Showy and cheap in a way that looks low quality

is about general unpleasant or ugly appearance, not cheap showiness
yuckety
vsunpretty
  • Informal
9.9

Looking unpleasant to eat because it seems old, dirty or spoiled

covers unpleasantness too but is less about causing disgust specifically

Antonyms

1.0

Nice to look at in a gentle, simple way

680 1.0

Pleasing to look at or enjoy and making people interested

How Pretty

beautiful
1.0
pretty
1.0
plain
50 2.5
unpretty
1 5.0
ugly
866 1.0

Surface Forms

unpretty positive

Morphology

unpretty = pretty (transparent) = un + pretty

The prefix 'un-' is a standard negation prefix, making the meaning clear as 'not pretty'.

Etymology

The word unpretty is simply un- 'not' plus pretty, which means 'nice' or 'attractive'. So unpretty means 'not pretty' and is used for people or situations that have become unpleasant or ugly.