Sometimes, we want to say that something doesn’t look nice, but we don’t want to be too harsh. Instead of saying the word “ugly,” people often use special phrases called idioms. Idioms are groups of words that mean something different from the words themselves. They help us speak in more colorful and fun ways.
In this article, we’ll learn about idioms people use when they talk about things that look unpleasant or strange. These sayings make it easier to describe looks without being too mean. Some might sound funny, but they are used a lot in talking or writing. Let’s explore what these idioms mean and how you can use them in everyday life.
Idioms for Ugly
1. Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
Meaning: A very unpleasant or angry-looking face
Within a Sentence: He looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp when he was mad. / That teacher always has a bulldog face in the morning.
In Other Words: Very grumpy face / Looks upset or strange
2. Hit every branch on the ugly tree
Meaning: Very unattractive
Within a Sentence: They said he hit every branch on the ugly tree when he fell. / That drawing hit every branch on the ugly tree!
In Other Words: Looks bad / Not easy to look at
3. Not a pretty sight
Meaning: Something or someone unpleasant to see
Within a Sentence: After the food fight, the lunchroom was not a pretty sight. / His socks after gym class were not a pretty sight.
In Other Words: Messy / Hard to look at
4. Beauty is only skin deep
Meaning: Looks aren’t everything; kindness matters more
Within a Sentence: She may not be the best-looking, but beauty is only skin deep. / He’s nice, even if he’s not handsome beauty is only skin deep.
In Other Words: Being kind is more important than looks
5. Looks like they got dressed in the dark
Meaning: Wearing strange or mismatched clothes
Within a Sentence: His outfit looked like he got dressed in the dark. / That hat and those shoes she must’ve gotten dressed in the dark.
In Other Words: Weird outfit / Doesn’t match
6. A face only a mother could love
Meaning: Very unattractive face
Within a Sentence: The dog had a face only a mother could love. / That fish has a face only a mother could love.
In Other Words: Not cute / Funny-looking
7. As ugly as sin
Meaning: Extremely unattractive
Within a Sentence: That painting is as ugly as sin. / This sweater is as ugly as sin but comfy.
In Other Words: Really not nice to look at
8. Not winning any beauty contests
Meaning: Not attractive
Within a Sentence: That old truck isn’t winning any beauty contests. / His shoes aren’t winning any beauty contests either.
In Other Words: Not good-looking / Kind of ugly
9. Ugly duckling
Meaning: Someone who looked bad at first but grew up looking better
Within a Sentence: She was an ugly duckling in grade school but now looks great. / The house was an ugly duckling before they fixed it.
In Other Words: Starts off ugly but changes for the better
10. Looks like a train wreck
Meaning: Very messy or unpleasant to see
Within a Sentence: My room looked like a train wreck after the sleepover. / His hair was a train wreck this morning.
In Other Words: Total mess / Not neat
11. As plain as toast
Meaning: Very simple or not attractive
Within a Sentence: That dress was as plain as toast. / His haircut is as plain as toast.
In Other Words: Nothing special / Kind of boring
12. Like a scarecrow
Meaning: Thin and scruffy-looking
Within a Sentence: He looked like a scarecrow in that old coat. / That shirt made her look like a scarecrow.
In Other Words: Messy / Not neat
13. Eyesore
Meaning: Something very unpleasant to look at
Within a Sentence: That broken sign is an eyesore. / The garbage pile was a real eyesore.
In Other Words: Ugly sight / Bad to look at
14. As rough as sandpaper
Meaning: Harsh or unpleasant to see
Within a Sentence: His skin looked as rough as sandpaper. / That drawing is as rough as sandpaper.
In Other Words: Not smooth / Not pretty
15. Like a bag of hammers
Meaning: Not smart and not good-looking
Within a Sentence: He’s nice, but kind of like a bag of hammers. / That outfit looks like a bag of hammers.
In Other Words: Looks odd / Not put together
16. Like a foot
Meaning: Looks unattractive
Within a Sentence: That sandwich looks like a foot. / He said the soup looked like a foot!
In Other Words: Gross / Not tasty-looking
17. Looks like a hot mess
Meaning: Very disorganized or messy-looking
Within a Sentence: Her room looks like a hot mess. / That closet is a hot mess.
In Other Words: Very messy / Not clean
18. Like chewed gum
Meaning: Looks worn out or rough
Within a Sentence: That paper looked like chewed gum. / The toy was all bent, like chewed gum.
In Other Words: Old and ugly / Used up
19. Like roadkill
Meaning: Extremely ugly or messy
Within a Sentence: That sandwich looked like roadkill. / His costume looked like roadkill.
In Other Words: Really bad / Yucky
20. Scary-looking
Meaning: Looks strange or frightening
Within a Sentence: That mask is scary-looking. / The scarecrow is kind of scary-looking at night.
In Other Words: Weird / Creepy
21. A mess and a half
Meaning: More than just messy
Within a Sentence: Her project was a mess and a half. / The room was a mess and a half after the craft time.
In Other Words: Extra messy / Ugly and chaotic
22. Like a wrinkled shirt
Meaning: Looks old or not fresh
Within a Sentence: That paper looks like a wrinkled shirt. / He came in looking like a wrinkled shirt.
In Other Words: Crumpled / Not clean-looking
23. Like leftovers
Meaning: Not fresh or nice-looking
Within a Sentence: That cake looked like leftovers. / The bouquet looked like old leftovers.
In Other Words: Old and rough / Not new
24. Crooked smile
Meaning: A smile that looks odd or strange
Within a Sentence: He gave a crooked smile when he lied. / That picture had a crooked smile drawn on.
In Other Words: Weird smile / Not cute
25. Like a patchwork quilt
Meaning: A mix of strange or mismatched things
Within a Sentence: Her outfit looked like a patchwork quilt. / The wall paint looked like a patchwork quilt.
In Other Words: Not matching / Strange mix
26. Like moldy bread
Meaning: Very ugly and old
Within a Sentence: That sandwich looked like moldy bread. / Her backpack smelled like moldy bread.
In Other Words: Gross / Rotten-looking
27. Like someone rolled out of bed
Meaning: Not neat or cleaned up
Within a Sentence: He looked like he rolled out of bed and came to class. / Her hair looked like she just rolled out of bed.
In Other Words: Messy / Not ready
28. Like a dirty sock
Meaning: Ugly and smells or looks bad
Within a Sentence: That lunchbox looked like a dirty sock. / The blanket smells like a dirty sock.
In Other Words: Gross / Unclean
29. Like a haunted house
Meaning: Scary or creepy in looks
Within a Sentence: That old classroom looked like a haunted house. / The shed in the back looked like a haunted house.
In Other Words: Creepy / Not pretty
30. Like a bad haircut
Meaning: Unpleasant or funny-looking
Within a Sentence: That drawing looks like a bad haircut. / His shirt looks like a bad haircut!
In Other Words: Doesn’t look good / Kind of silly
31. Like a crumpled paper
Meaning: Wrinkled or not smooth-looking
Within a Sentence: His shirt looked like a crumpled paper. / That drawing was like a crumpled paper mess.
In Other Words: Wrinkly / Not neat
32. Like a smashed sandwich
Meaning: Something messy and squished-looking
Within a Sentence: The bookbag looked like a smashed sandwich. / My lunch looked like a smashed sandwich.
In Other Words: Messed up / Ugly
33. As odd as a three-dollar bill
Meaning: Very strange-looking
Within a Sentence: His haircut is as odd as a three-dollar bill. / That cake looks as odd as a three-dollar bill.
In Other Words: Weird / Not right
34. Like spilled paint
Meaning: A mess of colors or patterns
Within a Sentence: Her art project looked like spilled paint. / That shirt looks like spilled paint.
In Other Words: Not neat / Crazy looking
35. Like a dented can
Meaning: Something damaged or not in good shape
Within a Sentence: That robot toy looks like a dented can. / His lunchbox looked like a dented can.
In Other Words: Beat up / Ugly
36. Like old shoes
Meaning: Worn out or ugly-looking
Within a Sentence: That blanket looks like old shoes. / His jacket smells and looks like old shoes.
In Other Words: Gross / Too used
37. Like a broken puppet
Meaning: Strange and floppy in looks
Within a Sentence: He danced like a broken puppet. / That toy moves like a broken puppet.
In Other Words: Awkward / Not smooth
38. Like a bird’s nest
Meaning: A messy look, especially hair
Within a Sentence: Her hair looked like a bird’s nest. / My pillow hair looked like a bird’s nest.
In Other Words: Tangled / Wild looking
39. Looks like a joke
Meaning: Looks silly or too weird
Within a Sentence: That new shirt looks like a joke. / His hair looks like a joke.
In Other Words: Funny / Not serious
40. Like mismatched socks
Meaning: Things that don’t go together
Within a Sentence: Her outfit looked like mismatched socks. / That chair and table are like mismatched socks.
In Other Words: Don’t match / Silly combo
41. Like a floppy pancake
Meaning: Flat and not shaped well
Within a Sentence: That drawing of the cat looked like a floppy pancake. / His hat looked like a floppy pancake.
In Other Words: Misshaped / Floppy
42. Like melted crayons
Meaning: A colorful mess
Within a Sentence: Her painting looked like melted crayons. / My binder was like melted crayons after art class.
In Other Words: Messy / Mixed up colors
43. Like an old mop
Meaning: Dirty and tangled-looking
Within a Sentence: His hair looked like an old mop. / That sweater was like an old mop.
In Other Words: Worn out / Ugly
44. Like messy doodles
Meaning: Not neat or good-looking
Within a Sentence: My test paper looked like messy doodles. / Her notes looked like messy doodles.
In Other Words: Scribbled / Not clear
45. As dull as dishwater
Meaning: Very boring or lifeless-looking
Within a Sentence: That painting was as dull as dishwater. / Her sweater is as dull as dishwater.
In Other Words: Boring / No color
46. Like a busted toy
Meaning: Broken and ugly
Within a Sentence: That chair looks like a busted toy. / The action figure looked like a busted toy.
In Other Words: Damaged / Not nice
47. Like bad leftovers
Meaning: Looks gross or old
Within a Sentence: Her hair looked like bad leftovers after the rain. / That snack looked like bad leftovers.
In Other Words: Old / Ugly
48. Like a sock puppet gone wrong
Meaning: Funny in a bad way
Within a Sentence: That art project looked like a sock puppet gone wrong. / His mask looked like a sock puppet gone wrong.
In Other Words: Weird / Not working
49. Like melted candy
Meaning: Messy and sticky-looking
Within a Sentence: My bag looked like melted candy inside. / That costume looks like melted candy.
In Other Words: Sticky mess / Yuck
50. Like a garbage pile
Meaning: Very messy or dirty
Within a Sentence: Her room looked like a garbage pile. / That locker was like a garbage pile.
In Other Words: Trashy / Not clean
51. Like a worn-out doormat
Meaning: Looks very used and ugly
Within a Sentence: That towel looks like a worn-out doormat. / His shoes are like a worn-out doormat.
In Other Words: Too old / Ugly
52. Like a Halloween mask
Meaning: Looks scary or fake
Within a Sentence: His face paint looked like a Halloween mask. / That statue looked like a Halloween mask.
In Other Words: Creepy / Fake-looking
53. Like a bad sculpture
Meaning: Misshaped and strange
Within a Sentence: My clay project looked like a bad sculpture. / That statue looked like a bad sculpture.
In Other Words: Not right / Misshaped
54. Like spilled cereal
Meaning: Scattered and messy
Within a Sentence: Her project was like spilled cereal on the table. / His desk looked like spilled cereal.
In Other Words: All over the place / Messy
55. Like wet paper
Meaning: Weak and messy-looking
Within a Sentence: The decorations looked like wet paper. / That costume was like wet paper in the rain.
In Other Words: Flimsy / Ugly
56. Like melted ice cream
Meaning: Something that used to look good but now looks bad
Within a Sentence: That card looked like melted ice cream after the rain. / His project turned into melted ice cream.
In Other Words: Ruined / Messy
57. Like a scare mask
Meaning: Made to look scary or ugly
Within a Sentence: His costume looked like a scare mask. / That drawing looked like a scare mask.
In Other Words: Not pretty / Creepy
58. Like leftover spaghetti
Meaning: Tangled and messy
Within a Sentence: Her hair looked like leftover spaghetti. / That string mess was like leftover spaghetti.
In Other Words: Tangled / Ugly
59. Like a muddy puddle
Meaning: Dirty and not nice to look at
Within a Sentence: His shoes looked like a muddy puddle. / That sweater is the color of a muddy puddle.
In Other Words: Messy / Not fresh
60. Like a broken crayon
Meaning: Once nice but now not useful
Within a Sentence: My project looked like a broken crayon. / That idea turned into a broken crayon.
In Other Words: Not useful / Looks bad
True/False Quiz – Idioms for Ugly
Decide if each sentence makes sense based on what you’ve learned about the idioms.
- Saying “He has a face only a mother could love” means he looks very handsome.
True / False - “Not winning any beauty contests” means something is not very pretty.
True / False - “That toy looks like a broken crayon” means it’s brand new and shiny.
True / False - “Her hair looks like a bird’s nest” means it’s neat and perfect.
True / False - If something is “like old shoes,” it’s probably very clean and new.
True / False - “That sandwich looked like roadkill” means it looked tasty and well-made.
True / False - “He looked like he got dressed in the dark” means his clothes didn’t match.
True / False - “A face like a bulldog chewing a wasp” means someone looks sweet and gentle.
True / False - “Like melted ice cream” means something looked nice and stayed that way.
True / False - “Like mismatched socks” means the outfit looked perfectly put together.
True / False - “Her desk looked like spilled cereal” means it was messy.
True / False - “That chair looks like a dented can” means it’s in great shape.
True / False - “Like a scare mask” means something looks scary or ugly.
True / False - “His smile looked like a scarecrow” means it was neat and pretty.
True / False - “Like chewed gum” means something looks smooth and nice.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idiom Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about idioms together!
Conclusion
People sometimes use funny or odd sayings when they talk about things that look messy, strange, or not very nice. These are called idioms. Instead of saying “ugly,” idioms make the message feel softer or more playful.
Now that you know these idioms, you might start hearing them in movies, books, or everyday talks. Try using them in your own writing or when describing something that looks a bit off. They make your words more fun and help you say what you mean in clever ways.
