Uncomely a.

[UN-¹ 7.]

  1.  Not pleasing or agreeable to the moral sense or to notions of propriety; unbecoming, improper, unseemly.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 25. As tah ha nefden wit in ham ne tweire schead as mon haueð, ba of god & of uuel, of cumelich & of uncumelich [v.r. vnkumelich].

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. X. 180. Hit is an vn-Comely Couple … To ȝeuen a ȝong wenche to an old feble Mon.

a. 1400.  Sir Degrev., 1638. The body syttys opon the hors, Hyt was uncomely to the cors.

1538.  Starkey, England, 52. He … began to persuade the rest … to forsake that rudnes & vncomly lyfe.

1583.  Babington, Commandm. (1590), 271. Whereunto for an other inticement to vncleannes, wee may referre all vndecent and vncomely pictures.

1622.  in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 459. All such reasons are uncomely and unchristian to be objected.

1653.  A. Wilson, Jas. I., 39. If any man speaks any thing uncomely there, the Chancellour … interrupts him.

a. 1683.  Owen, Two Discourses Holy Spirit, II. iv. (1693), 169. Uncomely Artifices of intreiguing Secular Courts.

1759.  Robertson, Hist. Scot., App. x. To avoid broad and uncomely speech.

  2.  Not pleasing or agreeable to the senses; not comely or fair to look upon. Also absol.

a. 1400.  Octavian, 884. Clement broght forthe schylde and spere, That were uncomely for to were, Alle sutty, blakk, and unclene.

1513.  More, Hist. Rich. III., Wks. 36/2. In hys later dayes with ouer liberall diet, sommewhat corpulente and boorelye, and nathelesse not vncomelye.

1531.  Elyot, Gov., I. xi. We se, that therof … the childrens personages do waxe uncomely and lasse growe in stature.

1607.  Markham, Cavel., IV. (1617), 36. To make horses amble without either marring their mouthes, vnsetling their heads, or breeding any other vncomely disorders.

1611.  Bible, 1 Cor. xii. 23. Our vncomely parts haue more abundant comlinesse.

1710.  Steele, Spect., No. 17, ¶ 1. Since our Persons are not of our own Making, when they are such as appear Defective or Uncomely, it is, methinks, an honest and laudable Fortitude to dare to be Ugly.

1824.  Byron, Def. Transf., I. i. Your aspect is Dusky, but not uncomely.

1847.  C. Brontë, J. Eyre, xvi. Mrs. Poole’s square, flat figure, and uncomely, dry, even coarse face.

1865.  Whittier, Margaret Smith’s Jrnl., 12 Nov. 1678. Where charity dwelleth, it maketh the weak strong and the uncomely beautiful.