lelijk

Lelijk is a Dutch adjective meaning ugly or unattractive. It is used to describe people, animals, objects, or situations and can convey varying degrees of harshness or bluntness. In everyday language it can refer to physical appearance as well as to things that are aesthetically displeasing, problematic, or morally disreputable, depending on context and tone.

Grammatical use follows standard Dutch adjective patterns. The comparative form is lelijker and the superlative lelijkst. When used attributively with a definite noun or with determiners, the form often ends in -e (de lelijke auto, de lelijke muur); after an indefinite article the form may also take -e in common usage and in many dialects. Predicative use, after a linking verb, typically keeps the base form: De auto is lelijk. The adverbial sense is usually expressed with the same form, as in Het ziet er lelijk uit.

Historically, lelijk is a native Dutch word with roots in the West Germanic language family; its exact origin is not clear, but it has cognates in related Dutch dialects. The noun lelijkheid (ugliness) is a common derivational form. Colloquial variations include lelijkerd, used humorously or insultingly to refer to a person considered nasty or ugly in behavior.

Usage and nuance may vary by register and culture. Lelijk can be blunt or offensive when used about people, so softer alternatives such as onaantrekkelijk or niet mooi are common in polite discourse. Antonyms include mooi and knap, while related expressions often emphasize aesthetic judgment or moral critique in everyday speech.