Words like 'ugly' or 'broken' or 'ruined' or other negative destructive connotations imply an anagram. It means to destroy the order of the letters and re-assemble them yourself.
I'll start you with a classic example. You have to think literally.
It's the title of a book about cryptic crosswords, and the clue reads...
Pretty girl in crimson rose (8)
There are variables as to how to ascertain the answer, but the most common one is to realise that the synonym is either...