醜(みにく)い

みにくい
i-adjective
ugly; unsightly; shameful
1. ugly; unsightly
Unpleasant or offensive to look at.
「醜(みにく)いアヒルの子(こ)」という物語(ものがたり)を知(し)っていますか。
Do you know the story 'The Ugly Duckling'?
醜(みにく)い傷(きず)が残(のこ)った。
An ugly scar remained.
醜(みにく)い建物(たてもの)だと思(おも)う。
I think it's an unsightly building.
醜(みにく)い顔(かお)をしている。
He has an ugly face.
2. shameful; disgraceful; unseemly
Morally repugnant or causing embarrassment.
権力(けんりょく)をめぐる醜(みにく)い争(あらそ)いが続(つづ)いた。
The ugly struggle for power continued.
自分(じぶん)の醜(みにく)い姿(すがた)を見(み)せたくない。
I don't want to show my ugly side.
醜(みにく)い行為(こうい)は許(ゆる)せない。
I can't forgive such shameful behavior.
金(かね)をめぐる醜(みにく)い争(あらそ)いだ。
It's a disgraceful fight over money.
嫉妬(しっと)は醜(みにく)い感情(かんじょう)だ。
Jealousy is an unseemly emotion.
醜(みにく)い本性(ほんせい)を現(あらわ)した。
He revealed his shameful true nature.

醜(みにく)い is an i-adjective meaning ugly, both physically and morally.

FORMS:

  • Adverbial: 醜(みにく)く
  • Noun form: 醜(みにく)さ (ugliness)

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 醜(みにく)い姿(すがた) (ugly appearance/form)
  • 醜(みにく)い争(あらそ)い (unseemly conflict)
  • 醜(みにく)いアヒルの子(こ) (The Ugly Duckling)

ANTONYMS:

  • 美(うつく)しい: Beautiful
  • 綺麗(きれい): Beautiful, pretty

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 醜(みにく)い vs. ブサイク: 醜(みにく)い is the standard/literary term; ブサイク is slang/colloquial for "ugly" (appearance).
  • 醜(みにく)い vs. 見苦(みぐる)しい: 見苦(みぐる)しい focuses more on being "unpleasant to watch" (behavior), while 醜(みにく)い covers both appearance and morality.

Register: Neutral to formal. A strong word that can be offensive when applied directly to people.

Related Words

Antonym: 美(うつく)しい (beautiful)
Related: 見苦(みぐる)しい (unsightly, unseemly)
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Added 2026.1.13 15:25 · Revised 2026.2.5 20:49
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