1 C1 informal
To deliberately make someone or something look unattractive, often for a role, purpose, or effect.
"The makeup artist was asked to ugly up the lead actress for her role as a homeless woman."
separable
ugly up
C1 informal separable transitive
To make something or someone look ugly or less attractive, either deliberately or accidentally.
In plain English
Make something or someone look worse or uglier on purpose.
What does "ugly up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 informal
To ruin the appearance of something, making it visually unpleasant.
"That new billboard has really uglied up the whole street."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make something ugly.
Actually means
Make something or someone look worse or uglier on purpose.
Usage tip
Mostly used in American informal English. Common in entertainment and fashion contexts where actors or subjects are deliberately made to look less attractive. The opposite of 'pretty up' or 'glam up'.
Words that pair with "ugly up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
face costume building character set
How to conjugate "ugly up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ugly up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
uglies up
he/she/it
Past simple
uglied up
yesterday
Past participle
uglied up
have + pp
-ing form
uglying up
continuous
Hear "ugly up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "ugly up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "ugly up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
disfigure make unattractive mar uglify
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