ugly as sin

English

Pronunciation

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Adjective

ugly as sin (not comparable)

1. (simile) Extremely ugly.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 298:

     It was easy enough to see that the child was a changeling, for it wasn't like other children at all it screamed and cried, as if a knife stuck in it, and it wheezed and hit about with its arms like a huldre-cat, and was as ugly as sin.

   • 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 3, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 26:

     'She is a personality,' said M. Bouc. 'Ugly as sin, but she makes herself felt.'.

Synonyms

• like the back end of a bus
• See also Thesaurus:ugly

Translations

extremely ugly

• Czech: ošklivý jako noc
• Dutch: lelijk als de nacht
• Finnish: ruma kuin mikä, ruma kuin rullatuoli (colloquial)
• French: laid comme un pou (fr), laid comme les sept péchés capitaux (fr)
• German: hässlich wie die Nacht
• Greek: κακάσχημος (el) (kakáschimos)
• Hungarian: csúnya, mint a bűn
• Norwegian: stygg som juling (no)
• Polish: brzydki jak noc listopadowa (pl), brzydki jak noc (pl)
• Portuguese: mais feio que bater em mãe
• Romanian: urât ca păcatul
• Russian: стра́шный, как сме́ртный грех (strášnyj, kak smértnyj grex)
• Spanish: más feo que un pecado, más feo que Picio, más feo que Carracuca
• Swedish: ful som stryk (sv)

See also

• original as sin