Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for heinous

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈheinously, adverb
  • ˈheinousness, noun
Discover More

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
Discover More

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
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of heinous1

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

Example Sentences

Part thriller, part true crime investigation, the nonfiction book uses one of the most heinous unsolved crimes of the Troubles — the 1972 disappearance of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10 who was abducted from her Belfast home by intruders assumed to be members of the Irish Republican Army — to explore the lingering trauma of political violence on survivors and perpetrators alike.

On his Fox show, Hegseth also vigorously protested the prosecutions of soldiers for war crimes, even to the point of persuading Trump, while he was president, to pardon two perpetrators of particularly heinous murders of civilians.

From Slate

The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.

From BBC

While Schultz agreed and raised the possibility of a "minor probation," Gershman argued that Merchan could impose a prison sentence of six to 24 months, citing Merchan's sentencing of ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to five months for "conduct far less heinous than Trump’s."

From Salon

"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

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


HeinleinHeinrich