noun
monstrosity
mahn-STRAH-suh-tee/mɑːnˈstrɑːsəti/
Something shockingly ugly or abnormal.
The oversized potato is a knobby monstrosity beside the two smooth, ordinary ones.
Etymology
The pieces describe a monstrous or strange quality, but the noun also came to name a thing displaying that quality. Its early English use for abnormal growth connects directly with something shockingly misshapen.
In context
building a gilded and let's face it ghastly las vegas style monstrosity of pulsating illuminated fountains on hardscape and a completely redundant performance space
More examples
- She calls my bright orange couch a monstrosity.
- The garden produces a few twisted monstrosities among the carrots.
- Critics describe the proposed law as a legal monstrosity.
Forms
monstrosity · monstrosities
monstrous adjective — Shockingly ugly, abnormal, or outrageously wrong.
Similar words
- eyesore
- Emphasizes an ugly appearance that spoils the surrounding view.
- abomination
- Emphasizes disgust or moral rejection rather than abnormal appearance.