heinous

[ hey-nuhs ]

adjective

1. hateful; odious; abominable; totally reprehensible:

   a heinous offense.

   Synonyms: nefarious, villainous, atrocious, flagitious, flagrant, infamous, wicked

   Antonyms: admirable

heinous

/ ˈhiː-; ˈheɪnəs /

adjective

1. evil; atrocious

Derived Forms

• ˈheinously, adverb
• ˈheinousness, noun

Other Words From

• heinous·ly adverb
• heinous·ness noun
• non·heinous adjective
• non·heinous·ly adverb
• non·heinous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heinous¹

1325–75; Middle English heynous < Middle French haineus, equivalent to haine hatred (derivative of haïr to hate < Germanic ) + -eus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of heinous¹

C14: from Old French haineus , from haine hatred, from hair to hate, of Germanic origin; see hate

Example Sentences

"By scratching the surface you get a terrible shock. It's such a heinous crime," says the Queen, who has called for domestic violence to be talked about more openly.

From BBC

“This appears to be a heinous crime committed by an individual who had no regard for the life of Dustin Kjersem,” Sheriff Springer said.

From BBC

The court of last resort was set up to deal with the most heinous crimes of an international nature when countries are unable or unwilling to prosecute high ranking individuals accused of atrocities.

From BBC

As this absorbing book reveals, the tragic ramifications of that heinous act would echo for years afterward.

From Salon

"Naturally, we condemn the heinous crime and assure that we are taking all measures to clarify the case," police spokesman Lionel Muchina said on Saturday.

From BBC

Related Words

• abhorrent
• abominable
• atrocious
• flagrant
• hateful
• hideous
• horrendous
• infamous
• nefarious
• odious
• outrageous
• revolting
• scandalous
• shocking
• unspeakable
• vicious