ugly English · revision 5303

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1250|origins=non uggligr}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈʌɡ.li/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|ugli|alt=uglike, ugli]], [[bor|non|uggligr|t=dreadful, to be feared]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) from [[m|non|uggr|t=fear, dread]], perhaps related to agg “strife, hate”, and [[m|non|-ligr|t=-like]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) Among words for this idea, ugly is unusual in coming from a root meaning “fear”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Frightful or horrible in appearance: about 1250, as uglike, in Genesis and Exodus.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It once had a stronger meaning than now, frightful or horrible.^(Cresswell 2021) “Morally offensive, vile” is attested from about 1300.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The meaning softened to “very unpleasant to look at” by about 1375.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) Threatening danger, as in ''an ugly situation'', is from the 1650s, and ill-tempered from the 1680s.^(Etymonline) The noun, an ugly person, is from 1755.^(Etymonline) An ''ugly duckling'' is from Hans Christian Andersen's tale, translated into English in 1846, and was used of people by 1877,^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) and ''ugly American'' from a 1958 book title.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1250 – frightful.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1300 – morally offensive.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1375 – unpleasant to look at.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1650s – threatening.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1877 – ''ugly duckling''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Unpleasant to look at; not attractive.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Unpleasant or offensive: ''war is ugly''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Threatening or dangerous: ''an ugly situation''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Bad-tempered or hostile: ''an ugly mood''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[uglily]]

+ * [[ugliness]]

+ * [[superugly]]

+ * [[uglify]]

+ * [[plug-ugly]]

+ * [[ugly American]]

+ * [[ugly customer]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}