uglify

Everyday

To make something ugly or uglier. tree →

In the lessons

A rare, slightly playful word, used in stories and complaints about buildings or places spoilt by ugly changes. Opposite: «beautify». In computing, «uglify» also means squashing program code so it is shorter and hard to read.

Examples

• The huge car park uglified the village green. tree →
• Graffiti uglified the old bridge. tree →
• «Don't uglify your homework with scribbles,» said the teacher. tree →
• The witch tried to uglify the princess with a spell. tree →
• Some people think the new tower block uglifies the skyline. tree →
• The programmer used a tool to uglify the code. tree →

Note

Past form «uglified», third person «uglifies» (y changes to ie). Rare and informal-sounding; more common: «spoil», «make ugly». Opposite «beautify».