урод is a Russian noun meaning an ugly person or a freak. It is usually insulting and can be quite harsh when directed at someone. Depending on context, it may refer to someone’s appearance, but it is also often used figuratively for someone considered cruel, disgusting, or morally repellent.
- Feminine form: уродка.
- A softer or joking tone is possible among close friends, but this depends heavily on the relationship and delivery.
- Related colloquial insult: уродец, often meaning “ugly little thing/person” or “freak.”
- Near-synonyms include страшила (“scary-looking person”), чудовище (“monster”), and некрасивый человек (“an unattractive person”); these differ in intensity and usage.
Historically, урод is connected to older Slavic ideas of something being “unusual” or “misshapen.” In modern Russian, it is predominantly negative.
- Он назвал меня уродом после ссоры.
He called me a freak after the argument.
- Не говори так: он не урод, просто выглядит необычно.
Don’t say that: he is not a freak, he just looks unusual.
- Какой урод мог оставить мусор в лесу?
What kind of freak could leave trash in the forest?
- Этот урод испортил всем праздник.
That freak ruined the celebration for everyone.
- Она в шутку сказала брату: «Ну ты урод!»
She jokingly said to her brother, “You’re such a freak!”
