heinous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- heinously adverb
- heinousness noun
- nonheinous adjective
- nonheinously adverb
- nonheinousness noun
Etymology
Origin of heinous
1325–75; Middle English heynous < Middle French haineus, equivalent to haine hatred (derivative of haïr to hate < Germanic ) + -eus -ous
Explanation
A heinous crime is very evil or wicked. Of course, some people only use the term as an exaggeration, claiming that their parents' requirement that they write thank you notes after their birthdays is a heinous form of torture. Heinous descends from Middle English, from Old French haineus, from haine "hatred," from hair "to hate." So when you want to use the word heinous in all seriousness, think of acts that are considered hateful (or outrageous, and shocking). Think: treason, torture, the clubbing of baby seals. Heinous is pronounced HĀ-nəs.
Vocabulary lists containing heinous
Brave New World
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The Other Wes Moore
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Look at trading for a key commodity with a heinous name: RBOB, short for reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
He also accused DOJ lawyers of destroying the office’s good standing with the judiciary and suggested that its incompetence has allowed defendants to evade just penalties for heinous crimes.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Meantime, heinous accusations are circulating against prominent people, without any evidence they’re true.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
A separate facility, called a 'place of safety', houses children aged 16-18 years who are accused or found guilty of committing heinous offences.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
It wasn’t his fault they were in this heinous situation.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
