Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| מיאוס | mies | /ˈmi.əs/ |
| מבֿוזה | mevuze | |
| העסלעך | heslekh | |
| ברידקע | bridke | |
| וורעדנע | vredne | |
| פּאַסקודנע | paskudne |
The primary way to express that something is displeasing to the eye is מיאוס. While this can mean aesthetically unattractive, it often carries a stronger connotation of being disgusting or revolting. When the concept of 'ugly' refers to something that is shameful, disgraced or morally offensive, use the form מבֿוזה.
Which one should you use?
מיאוס is used for visual or visceral unpleasantness, often leaning toward being revolting. In contrast, מבֿוזה is the appropriate choice when describing something as ugly in a moral or shameful sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form מיאוס is masculine. When you are describing a feminine singular noun, use the form מיאוסע.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of מיאוס is /ˈmi.əs/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word מיאוס is not actually a Yiddish word by origin, but a loan from Hebrew meaning 'aversion' or 'disgust'.
- Because מיאוס can mean 'revolting', using it to describe a person's face can be significantly more offensive than the English word 'ugly'.
- The adjective מבֿוזה is more closely related to the concept of 'disgrace' than to the concept of 'unpleasantness'.
Examples in context
- צי בין איך מיאוס?Am I ugly?This sentence is useful for asking if one is מיאוס.Tatoeba #11074308 by shekitten, translation #6319990 by OsoHombre
- דו זעסט אויס מיאוס.You look ugly.This sentence is useful for stating that someone looks מיאוס.Tatoeba #11074299 by shekitten, translation #2549671 by CK
- איך פֿיל זיך מיאוס.I feel ugly.This sentence is useful for expressing a feeling of being מיאוס.Tatoeba #11074304 by shekitten, translation #4426166 by shekitten
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Menachem and Sarah are looking at a piece of modern art.
- מנחם Menahemוואס מיינסטו פון דעם בילד?Vos meynstu fun dem bild?What do you think of this picture?
- שרה Saraעס איז ממש מיאוס.Es iz mammesh myos.It is really ugly.
- מנחם Menahemאיך בינ עלעמענטער, עס איז אינטערעסאַנט.Ikh bin elementer, es iz interesant.I disagree, it is interesting.
- שרה Saraאינטערעסאַנט, אבער מיאוס.Interesant, aber myos.Interesting, but ugly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries מיאוס, וורעדנע, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מיאוס, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
