Ugly

a., adv., and sb. Forms: α. 3 uglike (iglic), 4–5 vg-, ugli, 4– ugly (4–7 vgly, 5 igly, Sc. wgly, 5, 7 vgely), 6 vg-, uglye, 6–7 vg-, uglie (6 Sc. wg-); 4 uggeli, 5–6 vggely(e, vggly(e, 5–7 vggly; 4 ogli, 6 oglie, oggly. β. 5 oughlye, 7 oughly; 5–6 owgly, 6 ouglye, 6–7 ougly, -lie, 9 dial. oogly. γ. 4 hoggyliche, hogely, 6 hogly; 4–6 hugly, 5 hughely, 5–6 houghly, 6 hougly. [ad. ON. ugglig-r to be feared or dreaded, f. ugga UG v.: see -LY¹.

  The forms iglic in Gen. & Ex., 2918, and igly in the Harl. MS. of Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 673, are difficult to account for.]

  A.  adj. 1. Having an appearance or aspect which causes dread or horror; frightful or horrible, esp. through deformity or squalor. (Now merged in sense 3.)

  α.  c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 2805. [Moses] it warp vt of hise hond, And wurð sone an uglike snake. Ibid., 2918. Moyseses migtful wond … wurð bi-foren pharaon An Iglic snake sone on-on.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 11606. Þar þai þam thoght to rest and slepe, Þar did þai mari for to light, Bot son þai sagh an vgli sight.

c. 1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 860. Nathyng es swa ugly, Als here es a mans dede body. Ibid., 6683. Swylk filthe and stynk es in þat ugly hole.

1423.  James I., Kingis Q., clxii. And vnderneth the quhele sawe I there Ane vgly pit, was depe as ony helle.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, II. 247. Thai chargyt the geyler … to … bryng him wp out of that vgly sell.

1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, xi. 20. Ȝit may thow be, within ane ȝeir, Ane vgsum, vglye tramort.

a. 1547.  Surrey, Æneid, IV. 626. Agamemnons son:… That sitting round within the temples porche The vglie furies his slaughter to revenge.

1594.  Kyd, Cornelia, II. 13. Fayne would I die, but darksome vgly Death With-holds his darte, and in disdaine doth flye me.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage, VIII. vi. 639. The faces of their Priests are painted as vgly as they can deuise.

1643.  A. Rosse, Mel Helic., 77. His snakie hairs doe show how uggly he [sc. Cerberus] is in the sight of good men.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XI. 464. O sight of terrour, foul and ugly to behold, Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!

1680.  Otway, Orphan, II. i. I struck The ugly brindled Monster to the heart.

1789.  T. Russell, Sonn., xi. Uglier far than have been feign’d or fear’d, Ten thousand Phantoms to my sight appear’d.

  β.  1426.  Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 11036. Somwhyle, off dyrknesse And off the owgly ffoul thyknesse,… Thow shalt lese the syht off me.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 145. Yif he hadde … Seyn that owgly careyn lamentable.

1550.  Crawley, Epigr., 376. A greate mastyfe dogge and a foule ouglye beare.

1587.  Holinshed, Chron., III. 835/1. Suddenlie came out … eight wildmen,… with ouglie weapons & terrible visages.

1595.  Locrine, III. i. 7. Those ougly diuels of black Erebus, That might torment the damned traitors soule!

1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXVI. i. II. 240. These new-come diseases verely were … so foule and filthie, so loathsome and ougly, that a man would have chosen rather to die … than to bee so disfigured.

1633.  P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xl. Darknesse headlong fell, Frighted with suddain beams,… And plung’d her ougly head in deepest hell.

1640.  Glapthorn, Ladies Privilege, III. But know the shape of Death Is not ougly to me.

  γ.  13[?].  Adultery, 85, in Herrig’s Archiv, LXXIX. 420. He ledd hym to an hogely hylle; þe erthe openyd & in þei ȝede.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul), 1151. Þan come a schadow full hugly, blak & blay, & stud hyme by.

c. 1470.  Harding, Chron. CVII. vi. (1543), 107 b. Echeon their nose and ouer lippe ful right Cut of anone which was an hously [v.r. hogly] sight.

1555.  W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. iv. C ij. There be in it [Ethiopia] dyuers peoples of sondry phisonomy and shape, monstruous and of hugly shewe.

1565.  Stapleton, trans. Bede’s Hist. Ch. Eng., 95. These foure fyres encreasing by litle and litle so farr at the length extended, that ioyning altogether they grew to a great and houghly fame.

  † 2.  Of events, times, etc.: Dreadful, terrible.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 22519. Uggeli sal be þe fift dai, Mare þan ani tung can sai.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter ix. 37. Vgly is it to fall in þere hend, for þou bihaldis þe trauaile and þe sorow þat he has doen till haly men.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 892. Bot þay wern wakned … Of on þe vglokest vnhap þat euer on erd suffred.

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., xvi. 142. Sich panys hard neuer man tell, For vgly and for fell.

a. 1586.  Sidney, Ps. (1823), VI. iii. Turn thee, sweete Lord, and from this ougly fall, My deere God, stay me.

1597.  J. Payne, Royal Exch., 41. This wylie feynd geves not his onsett after his vglie and terrible maner.

  b.  Of sounds. (Passing into sense 6.)

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3701. With an ugli noise, noye for to here, Hit sundrit þere sailes & þere sad ropis.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxi. 138. In þis vale er oft tymes herd … voices vggly and hidous.

c. 1440.  York Myst., xxxvii. 101. What! heris þou noȝt þis vggely noyse.

1513.  Douglas, Æneid, III. iv. 31. The Harpyes … voce also was wglie for to heir.

1550.  Lyndesay, Sq. Meldrum, 738. Than rais the reik with vglie crakkis.

a. 1585.  Montgomerie, Flyting, 503. The cry was sa ouglie, of elfes, aips, and owles.

1603.  G. Owen, Pembrokeshire (1892), 249. At certaine tymes there is vgglye and terrible noyses and soundes hard to proceede from the same pitte.

1725.  De Foe, Voy. Round World (1840), 87. Great numbers came down to the shore, staring at us, and making confused ugly noises.

  3.  Offensive or repulsive to the eye; unpleasing in appearance; of disagreeable or unsightly aspect: a. Of persons.

  α.  c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul), 778. Þan sperit he [sc. Nero] rycht besyly, gyf þat he wes sa wgly Quhen he wes borne.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 673. This vgly sergeant … Hath hent hire sone þat ful was of beautee.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xvii. 77. Þir wymmen er riȝt blak and vggly to behold.

c. 1480.  Henryson, Test. Cres., 372. He luikit on hir vglye Lipper face, The quhilk befor was quhite as Lillie flour.

1509.  Barclay, Ship of Folys (1570), 198. The uggly Maurians are also of this sect.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 130 b. If the Frenche Quene, whiche was lame and ugly were dedde,… then waies might bee founde.

1580.  H. Gifford, Gilloflowers, Dream, xv. An oggly creature, all in blacke.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. v. 96. Had’st thou Narcissus in thy face to me, Thou would’st appeere most vgly.

1634.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 49. They are the most vgly and impudent Whoores, in all Persia.

a. 1687.  Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Speeches (1775), 237. Like ugly foolish children, whom, because of their deformity and want of wit, the parents are ashamed of.

1717.  Prior, Alma, II. 350. Dames, who Native Beauty want, Still uglier look, the more They paint.

1742.  Berkeley, Lett., Wks. 1871, IV. 286. You would be less zealous were the Queen old and ugly.

1794.  S. Williams, Vermont, 195. They have all the same sallow complexion, deformed features, ugly appearance.

1815.  Scott, Guy M., liii. The fairy bride of Sir Gawaine … was more decrepit probably, and what is commonly called more ugly, than Meg Merrilies.

1858.  Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Note-bks. (1871), I. 98. A very ugly old man indeed—wrinkled, puckered, shrunken.

1879.  Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 390. The ugly Greek who was the noblest of all Greeks.

  absol.  1765.  Goldsm., Vicar, xxxi. After having tried in vain [to find a wife], even amongst the pert and the ugly.

  β.  c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 3038. He was so hidous and so oughlye, I mene this that Trespasse hight.

c. 1407.  Lydg., Reson & Sens., 1934. This lady, Dame hatrede, To-rent and owgly in her wede.

1548.  Udall, Erasm. Par. Mark i. 16. Hence with this ougly and abhominable creature.

1598.  R. Haydocke, trans. Lomazzo, II. 133. Though a woman be faire, merry, and healthy and yet be dishonest, shee must needes seeme most ougly to an ingenuous and honest minde.

1610.  Shaks., Temp., IV. i. 192. And, as with age, his body ouglier growes, So his minde cankers.

  γ.  1562.  Bullein, Bulwarke, Sicke Men, 13. Keepe the mouth, teeth, and tongue cleane,… whych els shalbe corrupted, defiled, and so anoyed, that it shalbe … hugely and noysome to the beholders.

  b.  Of animals.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul) 780. Þat vgly padok þan gert he ta.

1444.  Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 218. The owgly bakke wyl gladly fleen be nyght Dirk cresselys and laumpys that been lyght.

1508.  Dunbar, Flyting, 185. Thow pure-hippit, vgly averill, With hurkland banis, holkand throw thy hyd.

1587.  Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 31. Two monstrous mastyves eke he sawe that ran Close by her side, two ugly curres they were.

1614.  Sylvester, Bethulia’s Rescue, II. 175. Millions of millions of foule Frogs hee makes To cover Memphis with their ougly Frie.

1643.  Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 16. I cannot tell by what Logick we call a Toad, a Beare, or an Elephant, ugly.

1699.  Dampier, Voy., II. II. ii. 59. The Monkies that are in these Parts are the ugliest I ever saw.

1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 355. In quadrupedes, the smallest animals are noxious, ugly and loathsome.

  c.  In miscellaneous uses.

  α.  13[?].  Seuyn Sages (W.) 2782. With lang noses and mowthes wide, And vgly eres on ether syde.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 1086. Erne had he fulle huge, and vgly to schewe, Wiþ eghne fulle horreble.

c. 1440.  York Myst., xi. 265. Full vgly and full ill is it, Þat was fol faire and fresshe before.

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. 52. Although we graunt that the Image of God was not altogether defaced and blotted out in him, yet was it so corrupted, that all that remaineth, is but vggly deformitie.

1577.  in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 626. For her ougly hewe and deformitie, we let her goe.

1604.  E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, V. xii. 360. They entred backward to their idol, and so went bending their bodies and head, after an vglie manner.

1680.  C. Nesse, Church-Hist., 122. An ugly image, half a fish and half a man.

1687.  A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 26. The streets of Constantinople are very ugly, being for the most part narrow, crooked, up-hill and down-hill.

1763.  J. Brown, Poetry & Music, xiii. 227, note. May not the Voice and Figure of a distressed or joyous Object be so … ridiculous or ugly as … to destroy the Sympathy of those who hear and see it?

1803.  Mar. Edgeworth, Manufacturers, i. She made him pronounce an absurd eulogium on the ugliest thing in the room.

1865.  Trollope, Belton Est., i. 5. The house itself was an ugly residence … built in the time of George II.

1875.  J. P. Hopps, Princ. Relig., i. (1878), 6. Even poor savages who have never been taught any better, cling to an ugly idol,… rather than be without a god at all.

  β.  1547.  Baldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 124. Wherewith … the figure of man is as it were by enchantment transformed into an ougly and loathsome image.

1581.  A. Hall, Iliad, X. 181. This Dolon was of ougly shape.

1600.  Fairfax, Tasso, VII. cxvi. Heau’ns glorious lampe wrapt in an ouglie vaile Of shadowes darke.

1607.  Norden, Surv. Dial., 222. Without the aid and industrie of a skilfull husband, fairest grounds will become ougly.

  d.  In figurative contexts.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 246. Thynke of goddys presence, and be raysed to heuen be holy thouȝt. Þanne se þe world foul & vggly, voyde of al goodnes.

1576.  Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 339. An infinite number, whose malice is infected with many a foule and ougly disease.

a. 1586.  Sidney, Arcadia, V. (1605), 445. While each conceite an ougly figure beares.

1601.  Yarington, Two Lament. Trag., II. i., in Bullen, O. Pl., IV. Where shall we hide this trumpet of your shame, This timelesse ougly map of crueltie?

1615.  J. Castle, in Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1848), I. 378. Those holy men … had made him see this fearful error, and the ugly face of his sin.

1663.  Davenant, 2nd Pt. Siege of Rhodes, IV. i. Amazement is the uggli’st shape of fear.

1884.  Congregationalist, Jan., 14. The honest man must allow that there are ugly truths and lies with beautiful faces.

  4.  Morally offensive or repulsive; base, degraded, loathsome, vile. In later use also in weaker sense: Offending against propriety; highly objectionable.

  α.  a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1106. Þai thoght þat kynd him mond for-bede To haf don suilk an ogli dede. Ibid., 27612. Þai þat sua vgli athes suers, wonder es hou þis erth þam bers.

c. 1340.  Hampole, Prose Tr., 33. A full forsakynge of … syne and of unclennes, with a gastely syghte of it how foule how vggly and how paynfull þat it es.

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 142. On a tyme þer was a scoler at Parissh, þat had done many vglie syn.

1583.  Babington, Commandm. (1590), 54. Sight of vglie sinne lodging still in mee … will make mee praise His name.

1608.  Willet, Hexapla Exod., 393. The most vile monstrous and vgely sinnes.

1650.  Bulwer, Anthropomet., 199. Tokens that God was grievously offended with such ugly deeds.

a. 1658.  Cleveland, Rustick Ramp. (1687), 431. An abominable Ceremony, which had made their Impiety more ugly.

1732.  Berkeley, Alciphr., III. § 11. Is it not … an ugly system in which you can suppose no law and prove no duty?

1816.  J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. v. 110. But cutting throats in a churchyard Is something new, and ’tis an ugly practice.

1879.  Geo. Eliot, Theo. Such, 128. I cannot consider such courses any the less ugly because they are ascribed to temper.

1894.  Simpkinson, Life & Times Laud, vi. 118. Gentlemen … who were sentenced to … do public penance in their own parish church for ugly acts of immorality.

  β.  1584.  Constable, Diana, III. ii. Like catife wretch by time and travell taught, His ougly ills in others good to hide.

1594.  T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. To Rdr. Surely of all Sathans delusions wrought by him in the hearts of vnbeleeuers, this monstrous error of atheisme is most ougly.

1602.  Warner, Alb. Eng., XIII. lxxvii. (1612), 320. Wherein were acted ouglier things than to be found mong’st beasts.

1611.  Cotgr., Landie deschiquetée, an ouglie nickname for an ouerridden Hackney (or Harlot).

  5.  Offensive or unpleasant to the smell or taste; noisome, nasty.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 8732. How the korse might be keppit … likyng to se; And not orible, ne vgly or odir to fele.

1668.  Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat. I. xxviii. 70. Stinking things have filthy and ugly Vapors.

1693.  Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. 148. Those kinds of rotten Dung are accompanied with an unpleasing smell that infects the Plants raised upon such Beds, and gives them an ugly Taste.

1707.  Mortimer, Husb. (1721), II. 43. It yields an ugly stench in burning.

1712.  W. Rogers, Voy. (1718), 149. The wind always blowing fresh over the land, brought an ugly noisome smell aboard from the Seals ashore.

1876.  Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., x. Archery has no ugly smell of brimstone.

  6.  Offensive to refined taste or good feelings; objectionable, disagreeable, unpleasant, not nice.

1621.  Burton, Anat. Mel., I. iv. III. i. 272. In the midst of these squalid, vgly, and such irksome dayes, they seek at last … to be eased of all by death.

1671.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XI. § 243. When a Man might reasonably believe that less than a universal Defection of three Nations, could not have reduced a great King to so ugly a fate.

1697.  trans. C’tess. D’Aunoy’s Trav. (1706), 126. I thought it very ugly, that an Old Woman such as that was which I saw there, should come and spurt Water out of her Mouth, in my Face.

1720.  Lett. Lond. Jrnl. (1721), 48. It would be very pleasant, if it were not for the Abuse and ugly Language you meet with.

1722.  De Foe, Plague (1754), 204. They call’d me … to an ugly and dangerous Office.

1754.  W. Goodall, Exam. Lett. Mary Q. Scots, I. i. 33. To affirm that it was to be found there, when it is not, has an extreme ugly aspect.

1806.  Surr, Winter in Lond., III. 128. The idea of having a daughter of sufficient age to be presented carries with it … an ugly memento of the age of her mother.

1872.  Rose G. Kingsley, South by West (1874), 16 April. xviii. 284. The ugly American [railroad] engine, with its wide smoke-stack, seemed to us, after two months of bad roads and stage-coaches, like a harbinger of law, order, and civilisation.

1874.  ‘Max Adeler,’ Out of Hurly-burly, xiv. (Rtldg.), 176. With an ugly word upon his lips, he sprang from his seat.

1888.  Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men, II. v. 18. The one person who comes out of that strife with an ugly stain upon his shield … was the Prime Minister.

  b.  Causing disquiet or discomfort; of a very troublesome or awkward nature.

1645.  in Verney Memoirs (1904), I. 328. Sir Ralph replies at great length about ‘this ugly business.’

1660.  Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 40. The last of December here was an ugly false report got abroad, that his Majesty was stabb’d. Ibid. (1672), Reh. Transp., I. 105. After things have been laid with all the depth of humane Policy, there happens lightly some ugly little contrary Accident.

1687.  A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., II. 11. Fearing that the Galleys … might serve him some ugly trick, he caused the Entry of it to be stopt up.

1711.  Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 4 Jan. I had an ugly giddy fit last night in my chamber.

1751.  Affect. Narr. of Wager, 17. For the more expeditiously retrieving this ugly Accident, the Commodore ordered several Carpenters on board her.

1792.  Burke, Lett. to Sir H. Langrishe, Wks. 1842, I. 550. It is putting things into the position of an ugly alternative, into which I hope in God they never will be put.

1826.  Disraeli, Viv. Grey, II. xi. A horse which he was endeavouring to cure of some ugly tricks.

1852.  Thackeray, Esmond, I. xiii. My Lord Mohun (of whose exploits and fame some of the gentlemen of the University had brought down but ugly reports).

1890.  Spectator, 19 April. The Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs … admitted some ugly facts.

  7.  a. Somewhat hazardous or perilous.

1654.  Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 45. I know it is an ugly time to mention goeing into England.

1711.  Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 21 Jan. It is very ugly walking; a baker’s boy broke his thigh yesterday.

1889.  in Eng. Dial. Dict.

  b.  Suggestive of trouble or danger.

1660.  Trial Regic., 161. I was in the hall when that ugly Proclamation was proclaimed.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 352. They … let fall some dangerous ugly Words.

1780.  Cowper, Lett., March. A long preface such as mine is an ugly symptom and always forebodes great sterility in the following pages.

1801.  S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., IV. 376. I had an ugly presentiment of what was to be the subject of our conversation.

1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxix. (1856), 244. Poor Sir John Franklin! this night-drift is an ugly omen.

1888.  Miss E. Money, Dutch Maiden, 133. You think this looks ugly, but … a stern chase is a long chase.

  c.  Of the weather, sea, etc.: Unpleasantly or dangerously rough, stormy, or boisterous.

1744.  Lond. Mag., 143. But little Wind, and an ugly Swell.

1781.  Archer, in Naval Chron. (1804), XI. 229. Hold fast! that was an ugly sea…. Another ugly sea: sent a Midshipman to bring news from the pumps.

1840.  R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxxv. It is blowing harder, and an ugly head sea is running.

1844.  Kinglake, Eöthen, xvii. With an ugly black sky above, and an angry sea beneath.

1847.  Alb. Smith, Chr. Tadpole, xxiii. (1879), 207. The flashes of lightning … shewed that it was going to be an ugly night.

1900.  J. H. Harris, Our Cove, ii. 14. You know the weather is going to be ‘ugly,’ which means anything from tricky to downright bad.

  d.  In phr. ugly customer, a person who is likely to cause trouble, or be difficult to deal with.

1811.  Sporting Mag., XXXVIII. 56. He is a very ugly customer.

1819.  Metropolis, I. 241. Coachee, you’ve picked up an ugly customer there.

1844.  Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xliii. In any such a cause you will find me, my young sir, an Ugly Customer!

1884.  E. Yates, Recoll., II. 207. The tone of the letter was exceedingly offensive and dictatorial, and it was evident that he was a very ugly customer.

  e.  The ugly man, the actual perpetrator of an act of garroting, as distinguished from his two accomplices. (Cf. NASTY a. 6.)

1888.  Cassell’s Encycl. Dict.

  8.  Cross, angry, ill-tempered.

1687.  Alice Hatton, in H. Corr. (Camden), II. 65. I am sorry my ugly letter gave you any disturbance.

1848.  Dickens, Dombey, liv. He turned upon her with his ugliest look.

1855.  Haliburton, Nat. & Hum. Nat., I. ix. 286. Don’t rile me, for I have an ugly pen, an ugly tongue, and an ugly temper.

1894.  H. Gardener, Unoff. Patriot, 163. I’ve had to buck up to some pretty ugly talk first and last.

  b.  In predicative use, esp. to feel or look ugly.

1796.  R. Bage, Hermsprong, xxv. Lord Grondale looked ugly; the doctor did not know how to look.

1836.  Haliburton, Clockmaker, Pref. I don’t know as ever I felt so ugly afore since I was raised. Ibid., I. xii. Don’t say that are any more…, for it makes me feel ugly.

1864.  Louie’s Last Term, 122. You make me ten times worse every time I see you, you make me so ugly I don’t know myself.

1896.  Daily News, 25 Feb., 3. It is amusing to see the clever promptitude with which they manage the brutes who look at all ugly.

  9.  Comb., as ugly-clouded, conditioned, faced, -headed, -tempered, visaged adjs.; also ugly-looking adj.

  (a)  1593.  Marlowe & Chapman, Hero & Leander, IV. 331. So most vgly clowded was the light, That day was hid in day.

1602.  Carew, Cornwall, I. 34 b. The Seale … is … not vnlike a Pigge, vgly faced, and footed like a Moldwarp.

1634.  Milton, Comus, 695. What grim aspects are these, These oughly-headed Monsters?

1655.  in Verney Mem. (1904), II. 25. The Example of very many … might somewhat excuse my signing that ugly conditioned Bond.

1849.  Cupples, Green Hand, xi. (1856), 113. Ye’re too tarnation ugly-faced for it, let alone colour.

1885.  J. G. Waller, in Archaeologia, XLIX. 205. On the opposite side is another ugly visaged figure.

1897.  Outing, XXIX. 590/2. A good-sized, well-fed, ugly-tempered creature, with a pair of magnificent tusks.

  (b)  1771.  Smollett, Humph. Cl., 31 May. A parcel of ugly-looking fellows came running into the water, and laid hold on our boat with great violence.

1820.  Belzoni, Egypt & Nubia, III. 425. A sort of short ugly-looking fellow, turned up nose, long teeth out of his mouth, and uncommon thick lips.

1839.  Sir C. Napier, in Bruce, Life, iv. (1885), 132. A hundred fellows may get ugly-looking gashes.

  B.  adv. Horribly; terribly; uglily.

c. 1375.  St. Leg. Saints, xxxiv. (Pelagia), 232. Þe feynde þarfor hye can cry, Þat mony herde, ful vgly.

c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 3988. An horribulle, foulle grome … hoggyliche lokede vpone herre w^t horrible chere.

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 51. Yone yong man … stynkis mor vglie in þe sight of God … þan done all þe carion of þis werld.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 509/2. Vggely, or vggely wyse, horribiliter.

1678.  Bunyan, Pilgr. (ed. 2), I. 187. But they desired him to let them go; with that he looked ugly upon them.

1876.  [see PLUG-UGLY].

1897.  E. Phillpotts, Lying Prophets, III. xi. 344. I’m punished ugly enough.

  C.  sb. 1. An ugly person, animal, etc.

1755.  H. Walpole, Lett. (1846), III. 100. There were all the beauties, and all the diamonds, and not a few of the uglies of London.

1790.  Mrs. Wheeler, Westmld. Dial. (1821), 16. Monny a lump ea brass he hes teaan frae his poor barns an me, to carry to thor uglys.

1889.  Pall Mall G., 27 June, 6/1. Artists and actors,… peers and judges, beauties and uglies—they were all in the highest spirits.

1895.  J. G. Millais, Breath fr. Veldt (1899), 161. There lay old Ugly in extremis with his … fine tusks directed towards us.

  2.  a. A kind of hood or shade attached to the front of a lady’s bonnet or hat as a protection to the eyes. (In use c. 1850.)

1850.  Thackeray, Kickleburys on Rhine (1851), 25. ‘Those hoods!’ she said: ‘we call those hoods Uglies!’

1856.  H. Mayhew, The Rhine, 107. The broad eaves project so far over that they remind you almost of a lady’s ‘ugly!’

1891.  Eng. Illustr. Mag., Dec., 197. Most hideous folding shades of silk drawn on wires were affixed to the front of these bonnets, and deservedly called ‘uglies.’

  b.  A knitted face-protector formerly worn in Canada.

1895.  Funk’s Standard Dict.

  Hence Ugly v. trans., to make ugly; to uglify.

1740.  Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 97. It is impossible I should love him; for his vices all ugly him over, as I may say.

1770.  C. Jenner, Placid Man, V. iv. The idea of a ticket-porter stuck to every part of him, and uglied him all over.