What Does Ugly Hot Mean?

• “Ugly hot” describes someone who’s unconventionally attractive.
• Ugly hot people often have unusual or striking features that fall outside of regular beauty standards, or who are hot in ways you might not be able to explain.
• Examples of unconventionally attractive celebs might include Adam Driver, Cillian Murphy, Andy Samberg, and Pete Davidson.

What does “ugly hot” mean?

“Ugly hot” is another term for “unconventionally attractive.” A conventionally attractive person checks all the boxes for beauty standards (whether or not those standards are fair). Ugly hot people, on the other hand, might have unique or unusual features that you (or others) find irresistible, even if they aren’t what you first think of when you think of a “hot person.” They just make it work! For example, society tends to value symmetrical faces, clear skin, toned bodies, and features that align with a person’s gender. Ugly hot people might have asymmetrical faces, unique builds, etc. Personality is a huge factor, too. Someone who’s endearing, sweet, funny, or confident might be considered attractive, even if they don’t have the typical “attractive” features.

Celebrity Examples of Ugly Hotness

Adam Driver We want to get it right out of the way that we don’t love the term “ugly hot” and would never call anyone on this list (or anyone in general) “ugly.” We definitely prefer “unconventionally attractive.” It’s just more sophisticated, don't cha think? Anyway, Adam Driver is the poster celeb for unconventionally attractive. It’s hard to pinpoint it, but we like that he’s just so… big.

Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy looks like if someone dialed every “attractive” knob to 11. His piercing eyes, razor-sharp cheekbones, squared-off jawline. He’s almost too beautiful to look at, but we can’t take our eyes off him.

Julia Roberts Julia Roberts is a stunner, hands-down, and a world-class actress to boot. Some might say her features are a bit exaggerated, but we say that her big, expressive eyes and brighter-than-the sun smile are what give her a dramatic edge.

Jay-Z Look, Jay-Z is far from ugly, and our beauty standards definitely have to catch up to him. But here’s a case where sheer charisma and talent go a long way to winning our hearts, as well as Beyoncé’s. And if Beyoncé likes you…

Tilda Swinton From her roles in Narnia to Snowpiercer to Suspiria, Swinton has a monopoly on our favorite film baddies (—er, by that we mean “villains”). And for good reason—her striking features are downright elemental.

Willem Dafoe Before you scoff, go watch Life Aquatic and tell us that Dafoe in those shorts and that little beanie doesn’t have major rizz.

Rami Malek It’s all in his eyes. Watching Rami Malek on screen is like watching a sad puppy that you’re unable to comfort because time and a theater projector separate you. Our protective instincts kick in. We won’t let anything hurt him.

Pete Davidson Pete Davidson often styles himself like a raccoon that just stumbled out of bed, but he does it with such charisma and nerve that we can’t help but raise a glass to him. Plus, he’s funny, which makes anyone hot.

Noah Centineo Mr. Centineo is that sorta broody guy everyone secretly had a crush on in highschool who went on to become tall, dark and handsome. Still a little broody, but maybe that’s just the signature pout working its magic.

Andy Samberg We know exactly what’s up here. It’s the mouth and the chin. Samberg has the upper face of an adorable dweeb and the lower face of a Marvel superhero, and the combination works. Also, again, he’s funny.

Similar Terms

“Hot ugly” people are deemed unattractive despite attractive features. According to TikTok, it’s the inverse of ugly hot. These are people who by all means should be attractive, but just… aren’t. They might check all the boxes—dazzling eyes, full lips, the whole nine yards—but the sum of all those parts is maybe a bit underwhelming. Just like with ugly hotness, personality is a factor. Even the hottest people are sometimes spoiled by a mean, rude, or otherwise unsavory personality.

“Hot hot” people are hot people with typically attractive features. These people meet the beauty standards and succeed. They’re the ones you look at and go, “Hey, that’s not fair!” They’ve got attractive features, and you're attracted to them. The complete package. Some popular examples of “hot hot” celebrities include Michael B. Jordan, Chris Hemsworth, and Beyoncé.