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
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Recent Examples of homely
The nightingale glanced at her small and homely child in mild surprise, as did the page.
—
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
With pale, irregular surfaces dotted with black bits of char, the homely slabs aren’t much to look at, but the first bite packs a big smoky punch that only grows with each subsequent chew.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Conjure the homely, heart-warming elements of the season and take inspiration from nature with Taupe 03 Soho Roc House by Lick.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2025
Evening Curiously, despite being in the southerly Krabi region, Bun Noodle serves delightful, aesthetically lovely northern Thai dishes (the family is from Chiang Mai) in a homely setting.
—Adam Turner, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
With pale, irregular surfaces dotted with black bits of char, the homely slabs aren’t much to look at, but the first bite packs a big smoky punch that only grows with each subsequent chew.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
Conjure the homely, heart-warming elements of the season and take inspiration from nature with Taupe 03 Soho Roc House by Lick.
—Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2025
Evening Curiously, despite being in the southerly Krabi region, Bun Noodle serves delightful, aesthetically lovely northern Thai dishes (the family is from Chiang Mai) in a homely setting.
—Adam Turner, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for homely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for homely
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
-
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
-
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
-
Cuba is miserable, and to travel there without noticing the misery is grotesque all by itself.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Suddenly, the Academy found itself getting beaten up on social media as yet another grotesque example of Hollywood’s wasteful ways.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Homely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/homely. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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