The Meaning of minikui [醜い] In Japanese

醜い
みにくい
Romaji: minikui N5

What does 醜い mean?

Translation and Meaning

ugly, unattractive

Definition

醜い means ugly or unattractive in appearance; it is an i-adjective used to describe visual displeasure and can also describe unattractive or morally repellent behavior or character.

Type

adjective (i-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical ugliness or lack of aesthetic appeal in people or objects
  • Unattractive behavior or character in a figurative sense
  • Strong, literary emphasis on ugliness in a scene or description

Etymology

From the kanji 醜 meaning ugly, the word forms by adding the i-adjective suffix to create 醜い; the base is the kun-reading leading to the modern pronunciation minikui.

Composition

  • 醜: ugly, disgraceful; combining with い yields 醜い

Usage

Used in formal and literary contexts as well as everyday speech, though it can be harsh when applied to people; for milder, everyday language see 見苦しい or 汚い in some contexts; common constructions include 醜い顔, 醜い態度. It tends to appear in descriptive writing, criticism, or moral discussions.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: image a small mirror labeled minikui; the cue to ugly helps recall the pronunciation and meaning

Variations

  • 見苦しい (みぐるしい) — synonym; romaji migurushii
  • 醜悪 (しゅうあく) — stronger, more literary; romaji shuuaku
  • みっともない (みっともない) — socially shameful; romaji mittomonai
  • 美しい (うつくしい) — antonym; romaji utsukushii

Example Phrases

  • 公園で 彼の 絵が 醜い と みんなが 言った。
    Kouen de kare no e ga minikui to minna ga itta.
    In the park, everyone said that his painting was ugly.
    Lista:
    • 公園で (kouen de) – in the park
    • 彼の (kare no) – his
    • 絵が (e ga) – the painting
    • 醜い (minikui) – ugly
    • と (to) – that
    • みんなが (minna ga) – everyone
    • 言った (itta) – said
    「醜い」 is an い-adjective describing the noun 絵; here 絵が「醜い」 = ‘the painting is ugly’.
醜い