Ugly means unpleasant or unattractive to look at. An ugly building might have peeling paint, broken windows, and a clumsy design that makes people wish they could look away. An ugly sweater might clash with colors that hurt your eyes, or have a strange pattern that just doesn't work.

But ugly extends beyond appearance to describe anything that feels wrong or unpleasant. An ugly argument between friends involves harsh words and hurt feelings. An ugly situation might mean a problem that's getting worse and harder to fix, like when a small disagreement turns into a major conflict.

What makes something ugly is partly subjective: one person's ugly might be another person's interesting or even beautiful. A wrinkly bulldog that some people find ugly strikes others as adorably charming. Still, some things are widely considered ugly: cruelty, dishonesty, and meanness can be described as ugliness of character, which matters far more than physical appearance.

The opposite of ugly is beautiful or attractive. When someone shows ugly behavior, like being rude to someone who can't defend themselves, they're revealing something unpleasant about their character, not their looks.