a. Chiefly north. and Sc. Forms: 5 vg-, ugsom, 6 vgsoom; 5–6 vgsome (5 hwg-), 6 ougsome, 6– ugsome; Sc. 5–6 vg-, wgsum, 6–8 ugsum (6 -sume). [f. UG v. + -SOME.] Horrible, horrid, loathsome.

1

  In older use common down to the latter part of the 16th cent. Literary currency in the 19th cent. is prob. due to the influence of Scott.

2

  c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 877. He … was ware sone Of þe orible oxin, vgsome to see. Ibid., 12497. A thoner and a thicke rayne … With an ugsom noise.

3

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., II. xi. 1011. Off þat incest fel murthir keyn, And ane vgsum maniory Off wlatsum corssis and vgly.

4

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 470. Þer he saw many vgsom turment and many dyvers kyndes of paynys.

5

1475.  Cath. Angl., 191/2. Hwgsome, abhominabilis.

6

1509.  Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps., xxxviii. Wks. (1876), 49. Lyke as þe mornynge is a meane bytwene þe grete clerenes of þe sonne & þe vgsome derkenes of the nyght.

7

1549.  Latimer, 7th Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 186. Such an euyl fauoured face, such an vgsome countenance, such an horrible vysage.

8

1566.  J. Studley, Seneca’s Medea (1581), 134. O ougsome bugges, O gobblins grym of hell, I you intreat.

9

1583.  Melbancke, Philotimus, C ij. And Morpheus [shall] present the with vgsome sights.

10

  1724.  Ramsay, Vision, x. Infernal be thair hyre, Quha … fllang us Into this ugsum myre!

11

1790.  A. Wilson, 3rd Epist. to W. Mitchell, Poet. Wks. (1846), 180. The carle … Aye puffin’, or stuffin’ Wi’ ugsome chews his cheek.

12

1816.  Scott, Antiq., xxi. Like an auld dog that trails its useless ugsome carcass into some bush or bracken.

13

1832.  Lytton, Eugene A., II. viii. ‘’Tis an ugsome bit of road,’ said the corporal.

14

1875.  Browning, Aristoph. Apol., 1360. Attestation of the Muse That low-and-ugsome is not signed and sealed Incontrovertibly man’s portion here.

15

  Hence Ugsomely adv. rare.

16

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, 181. Sodanlie as he lay, he began to cry vgsomlie.

17

a. 1578.  Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 67. Thir same wordis war more wgsumlie crayit nor befoir.

18

1876.  Whitby Gloss., 204. ‘It leuk’d at us varry ugsomely,’ savagely.

19