German word

hässlich

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhɛslɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectiveugly

Example

Ein hässliches Haus steht am Ende der Straße.

There is an ugly house at the end of the street.

Illustration for hässlich (ugly)

More examples

Sein hässliches Verhalten überraschte alle.

His ugly behavior surprised everyone.

Core concept

A visibly jarring sight that feels unpleasant to look at.

Common phrases

  • sein hässliches Verhalten

    his ugly behavior

  • einen hässlichen Eindruck

    a bad impression

  • eine hässliche Narbe

    an ugly scar

Similar words

unschön: Not very attractive or pleasing in appearance.
unansehnlich: Plainly unattractive and unsightly.
scheußlich: Exceptionally ugly and intensely unpleasant in appearance.
abstoßend: Visibly ugly in a way that provokes strong disgust.

Definition in German

hässlich beschreibt das Aussehen von etwas, das als unangenehm oder unästhetisch empfunden wird.

Word origin

The adjective derives from older Germanic forms such as Old High German hazalīh and Middle High German haʒlich, built on a word for hatred with -lich.

Usage tips

  • As an attributive adjective, hässlich takes ordinary German adjective endings, as in ein hässliches Haus and eine hässliche Fassade.

Other meanings

  • unattractiveadjective
  • unsightlyadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Hässlichkeituglinessnoun

Word lists with this word