ブサイク (busaiku)

What it means

1. 1.

   Ugly; badly put together. Used of faces above all, and cruelly frank by the standards of English public speech.

   Listed for comprehension. Japanese variety television uses it freely about its own performers, which badly misleads learners about how it lands in private.

Examples with translations

• 写真、ブサイクに写ってる。

  I've come out hideous in this photo.

  Note: Self-directed, which is where the word is safest.

• 人の顔をブサイクとか言うなよ。

  Don't go calling people ugly.

Where it comes from

From 不細工, 'not finely worked' — originally said of shoddy craftsmanship, then transferred to faces. ブス is the shorter and harsher relative.

Other forms

Romanised as:

busaiku

Spellings and variants:

不細工, ブス