unsightly

English

Etymology

From un- +‎ sightly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈsaɪtli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

unsightly (comparative more unsightly, superlative most unsightly)

1. Displeasing to the eye.
   • 1962 October, Brian Haresnape, “Focus on B.R. passenger stations”, in Modern Railways, page 252:

     For example, by changing the use of existing rooms, removing or replacing unsightly features, clearing obstacles to easy circulation, rearranging direction signs and generally introducing as much order as possible, most outdated station buildings can be made reasonably efficient and attractive.

   • 2021 October 20, “Network News: NR and NH tackle graffiti vandalism”, in RAIL, number 942, page 9:

     The removal of unsightly graffiti on the sides of railway bridges spanning major roads in the North West is to be handed over to National Highways, to speed up the job.

   • 1992, Robert Jordan, “Chapter 38: Hidden Faces”, in The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time; 4), London: Orbit Books, published 2021, →ISBN, page 610:

     “She had grown used to the quick speech of these people, but she wished he would not lick his lips that way. It did not make him any harder to understand, but it was unsightly."

Usage notes

• The forms unsightlier and unsightliest are dated.

Synonyms

• disgusting
• ugly

Antonyms

• beautiful
• sightly

Translations

displeasing to the eye

• Bulgarian: грозен (bg) (grozen), противен (bg) (protiven)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 難看／难看 (zh) (nánkàn)

• Czech: nevzhledný
• Finnish: epämiellyttävän näköinen, rumannäköinen, ruma (fi)
• French: disgracieux (fr), inesthétique (fr)
• Icelandic: óásjálegur (is)
• Italian: antiestetico (it) m, inguardabile (it)
• Jamtish: ljøt
• Japanese: 目障り (ja) (mezawari)
• Latin: turpis (la)
• Maori: haruharu
• Portuguese: antiestético
• Romanian: dizgrațios (ro), inestetic (ro)
• Russian: непригля́дный (ru) (neprigljádnyj)
• Sanskrit: अश्रीर (sa) (aśrīra)
• Slovak: nepekný m, nevzhľadný m, nevkusný m
• Spanish: antiestético
• Swedish: ful (sv), gräslig (sv), anskrämlig (sv)

Further reading

• “unsightly”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.