unhandsome

adjective

un·​hand·​some ˌən-ˈhan(t)-səm How to pronounce unhandsome (audio)
: not handsome: such as
a
: not beautiful : homely
c
: lacking in courtesy or taste : rude
unhandsomely adverb

Examples of unhandsome in a Sentence

a character actor with a distinctively craggy, unhandsome face in an interview the free-spoken actor made some unhandsome remarks about his costars
Recent Examples on the Web In the ’50s, almost all apparel sold in America was made in America, much of it in that blunt, unhandsome neighborhood halfway between Midtown and Chelsea, a patch of blocks less than a square mile, crammed daily with hundreds of thousands of workers. Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unhandsome.' 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

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhandsome was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near unhandsome

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

unhandsome

adjective
un·​hand·​some ˌən-ˈhan(t)-səm How to pronounce unhandsome (audio)
: not handsome: as
a
: not beautiful : homely
b
: unbecoming, unseemly
an unhandsome habit
c
: lacking in courtesy or taste
unhandsome language
unhandsomely adverb
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