ugly
/ˈʌɡli/
adjective
Origin
Old Norse
ugga — to dread or fear
Overview
Meaning Now
- Unpleasant or repulsive in appearance.
- Morally reprehensible or unpleasant in character.
- Threatening or ominous, especially in relation to a situation.
Literal older meaning
fearful or dread-inspiring
Language path
Old Norse → Middle English → English
Earliest form
uggelic
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word originally described something that inspired fear or dread, derived from the Old Norse 'ugga'. Over time, the meaning shifted from the psychological reaction (being afraid) to the external appearance of the object that caused that reaction, eventually settling into the modern aesthetic sense of 'unattractive'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*ug-
“to dread”
- Old Norse
uggr
“fear, dread”
- Middle English
uggelik
“frightful, terrible”
Transition from fear-inducing to visual unattractiveness.
Connections
Word parts
ug
root
to fear
ly
suffix
having the quality of
Related across languages
Old Norse
uggligr
frightful
Explore next
Related to ugly
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.