THE FIRST WORD

ugsome

PRONUNCIATION:

(UG-suhm) 

MEANING:

adjective: Dreadful, loathsome.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old Norse ugga (to fear). As in many typical stories where one child in a family becomes well-known while the other remains obscure, "ugly" and "ugsome" are two words derived from the same root -- one is an everyday word while the other remains uncommon. Earliest documented use: around 1425.

USAGE:

"She believed it was a step in the right direction that would eventually lead to abolishment of the ugsome deeds befalling all of them."
Catherine Ann Sabatino; Voices in the Midst; AuthorHouse; 2010.