coyote ugly
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
A girl was coyote ugly if, when a man got too drunk, picked her up, took her to bed, and woke up with her asleep on his arm in the morning, he'd chew his arm off to escape without waking her up.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “coyote ugly” mean?
Very ugly.
Is “coyote ugly” formal or informal?
coyote ugly is generally derogatory, slang.