ugliness
ugliness — noun
1. the state of being unappealing or displeasing to the eye because of a person's p
the state of being unappealing or displeasing to the eye because of a person's physical features, an object's design, or a place's condition
Mayumi was sad about the ugliness of the old factory buildings near her home.
collocation: ugliness of [place]
Sora painted the wall to hide the ugliness of the cracks and stains.
collocation: hide/conceal the ugliness of [something]
The garden had a strange beauty that many people mistook for ugliness.
Aaron could not ignore the ugliness of the cheap plastic furniture in the waiting room.
- hideousness
Much stronger; suggests something extremely and shockingly ugly
- unsightliness
More formal, typically used for objects and places rather than people
- unattractiveness
Milder and more neutral; does not carry the strong negative emotion of ugliness
- beauty
The direct opposite; the quality of being pleasing to the eye
用法筆記
Ugliness is an uncountable noun. It is far less common in everyday speech than the adjective 'ugly', which learners should master first.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of a situation, event, or interaction that feels dangerous, hostile,
the quality of a situation, event, or interaction that feels dangerous, hostile, or violent, creating a strong sense of discomfort or fear
The ugliness of the argument made everyone in the room feel uncomfortable.
collocation: ugliness of [argument/conflict]
Chidi was shocked by the ugliness of the political protests on the news.
Neighbours were surprised by the sudden ugliness of the dispute over the fence.
Bao recalled the ugliness of the street fight — blood on the pavement and shattered glass.
- pleasantness
The quality of being agreeable and enjoyable
- civility
The quality of behaving in a polite and respectful way
用法筆記
This sense is most often used to describe situations, events, or behaviour rather than people or objects. It is common in news reporting and discussions of social conflict.