Unhandsome

/ˌʌnˈhæn.səm/

Synonyms for "unhandsome" (39 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: bad, beautiless, blemished, blotted, cacophonic.
  • Sentence evidence is available for unhandsome, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "unhandsome".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "unhandsome"

Keep "unhandsome" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "unhandsome" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "unhandsome", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "unhandsome" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Sample sentences

6 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

Why, i’ faith, methinks she’s too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise and too little for a great praise: only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

Source: wiktionary

c. 1790, Robert Burns, Letter to Mr. Charles K. Sharpe of Hoddam, in J. Logie Robertson (ed.), Burns’s Letters, The coat on my back is no more: I shall not speak evil of the dead. It would be equally unhandsome and ungrateful to find fault with my old surtout, which so kindly supplies and conceals the want of that coat.

Source: wiktionary

Fanny could have said a great deal, but it was safer to say nothing, and leave untouched all Miss Crawford's resources, her accomplishments, her spirits, her importance, her friends, lest it should betray her into any observations seemingly unhandsome.

Source: wiktionary

When he got his lubberly sandals on, and his long robe of coarse brown linen cloth, which hung straight from his neck to his ankle-bones, he was no longer the comeliest man in his kingdom, but one of the unhandsomest and most commonplace and unattractive.

Source: wiktionary

Showing 4 of 6 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "unhandsome"?

Closest matches include bad, beautiless, blemished, blotted, cacophonic.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "unhandsome"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "unhandsome"