ill-looking
Definition
Adjective: Having an unhealthy, unpleasant, or unattractive appearance; looking sickly or ugly.
Usage Examples
- (Describing an unattractive or dilapidated appearance.)
- (Describing someone who appears unhealthy or sickly.)
Advanced Usage
- "Ill-looking" is a compound adjective formed from "ill" (meaning bad, unhealthy, or unfavorable) and "looking" (present participle of "look"). It is used to describe the outward appearance of a person, place, or thing as being negative in quality.
- It is often used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than in everyday conversation.
- The ill-looking stranger shuffled down the street, drawing wary glances from passersby. (The person's appearance suggested danger or illness.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ill-favored (adj): unpleasant or ugly in appearance; similar in meaning to "ill-looking."
- The ill-favored creature was avoided by all the other animals. (Ugly or repulsive.)
- Ill-kempt (adj): not well cared for; untidy or messy in appearance.
- His ill-kempt hair and stained clothes made him look ill-looking. (Untidy and unhealthy.)
Synonyms
- Unattractive: not pleasing to the eye; ugly.
- Sickly: appearing weak, pale, or unhealthy.
- Unwholesome: suggesting poor health or moral decay; unpleasant.
Related Idioms
- To look like death warmed over: to appear extremely ill or exhausted.
- After the flu, he looked like death warmed over, quite ill-looking. (Very sickly.)
- To have a face like a wet weekend: to look miserable or unpleasant.
- Her ill-looking expression suggested she was not happy. (Unpleasant or gloomy appearance.)