ungodly

adjective

un·​god·​ly ˌən-ˈgäd-lē How to pronounce ungodly (audio)
 also  -ˈgȯd-
1
a
: denying or disobeying God : impious, irreligious
… the listener fancied that he could distinguish the accents of towns-people of his own, men and women, both pious and ungodlyNathaniel Hawthorne
b
: contrary to moral law : sinful, wicked
… he was himself so wicked a creature, and his own conscience so reproached him with his horrid, ungodly life …Daniel Defoe
Look at what's happened to our ozone layer … ! We have destroyed this planet with our ungodly ways!John Way
2
a
: outrageous
gets up at an ungodly hour
… this sandwich has an impressive nuanced batter that for some ungodly reason is lost on the rest of the fast food community.The Catalyst: Colorado College
b
: far exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected
an ungodly feat
ungodly speeds
In the blackened interior of the smokehouse hang enormous hams, some an ungodly fifty-five pounds. "People want a large ham," Guier comments modestly.Matt Kramer
c
: severely objectionable to the senses
an ungodly smell
The bark of a fox, ungodly screech of a coon, … and the howls and yips of coyote all travel far on the still, damp night air.M. L. Wells
ungodly adverb
The most dramatic, commonly noted phenomenon of deserts is that they are ungodly hot and dry. Bil Gilbert
In each case, an ungodly rich person made a crazy-rich person even richer. Rick Reilly

Examples of ungodly in a Sentence

What an ungodly racket they're making!
Recent Examples on the Web Instead, my family already observed our winter holiday — lighting the menorah and frying latkes in an ungodly amount of oil. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Republicans have documented the ungodly amount of foreign money that sluiced through Biden accounts. The Editors, National Review, 14 Dec. 2023 At one point, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon, in a drunken stupor, had urinated onto the studio’s recording console, leaving the electronics in an ungodly mess. Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023 For some ungodly reason, the Daily Mail loves to write up every time Al Pacino goes speed-walking in Beverly Hills. Vulture, 11 Apr. 2022 The bold and noble Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had captured two dangerous American infiltrators, bravely rescuing Iran from an ungodly, diabolical plot. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2023 Following an Emmy Awards broadcast that for some ungodly reason took place on a Monday, the Globes are back on TV, airing Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2022 The idea, as explicitly stated by founder Alan Sears, was to save America from the ungodly transgressions of the American Civil Liberties Union, and on their turf—the courts. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 6 July 2023 And at the same time, the CEOs and the corporate executives from these companies are making ungodly sums of money. How To Save A Country, The New Republic, 11 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ungodly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ungodly was in 1526

Dictionary Entries Near ungodly

Cite this Entry

“Ungodly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ungodly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ungodly

adjective
un·​god·​ly ˌən-ˈgäd-lē How to pronounce ungodly (audio)
 also  -ˈgȯd-
1
a
: denying God : impious, irreligious
b
2
: outrageous
gets up at an ungodly hour
ungodliness noun

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