ugly American

plural ugly Americans · alternative Ugly American

1. idiomaticAn American government representative, tourist, or businessperson who, in dealing with people of other nations, is haughty, rude, meddlesome, chauvinistic, or jingoistic.

   For the last fortnight, Trump has presented himself to the world as the caricature of the ugly American: loud, boorish and ill-informed.

   2017 June 2, Dana Milbank, “Trump, the caricature of the ugly American, demeans us all”, in Washington Post, retrieved 17 Jul 2017

   4 more examples

   The Republican House managers were acting like ugly Americans abroad who think that if they talk loudly and slowly, foreigners will understand them.

   1999 January 17, Maureen Dowd, “Liberties: Soft-Porn Nation”, in New York Times, retrieved 17 Jul 2017

   Quinn throws himself into the role of the vain, heavy-drinking bully with gusto[…]. He's precisely the kind of ugly American people cringe upon meeting—loud, demanding and arrogant, a bottle of Scotch never far from his elbow.

   2010 April 8, Linda Barnard, “The Eclipse: Ghosts among the living”, in The Star, retrieved 17 Jul 2017

   The US […]turned into an overweening global bully […]. In the persons of Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, the Ugly American was back.

   2011 May 2, Rupert Cornwell, “America must end its 9/11 mindset”, in Independent, retrieved 17 Jul 2017

   “We try so hard not to be the ugly American, and here is Emily with her terrible accent and garish clothing, shouting at French people in English and expecting them to understand,” she said.

   2023 January 20, Dan Bilefsky, “American Expatriates in Paris Wish Emily Cooper Would Go Home”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

plural Ugly Americans

1. alternativeAlternative form of ugly American.