heinous

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adjective hei·nous \ˈhā-nəs\

: very bad or evil : deserving of hate or contempt

Full Definition of HEINOUS

:  hatefully or shockingly evil :  abominable

— hei·nous·ly adverb

— hei·nous·ness noun

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Examples of HEINOUS

1. These murders were especially heinous.
2. people accused of committing heinous crimes
3. While admittedly the crimes rappers commit have often been more heinous than those committed by other entertainers, rappers seem to face more opprobrium. Though hip hop has become mainstream, much of mass media still has antiquated ideas of rap music and rappers. —Vibe, May 2001
4. The verdict … also defined rape for the first time as a crime against humanity, one of the most heinous crimes. The tribunal has previously tried cases involving rape, but defined the rape as torture. —Marlise Simons, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2001
5. It's hard enough to figure out what a defendant was thinking when he committed the heinous and bizarre act that has made him a candidate for the insanity defense. And state of mind is what the insanity defense is all about. —Laura Mansnerus, New York Times Book Review, 26 Oct. 1997

Origin of HEINOUS

Middle English, from Anglo-French hainus, heinous, from haine hate, from hair to hate, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German haz hate — more at hate

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with HEINOUS

anus, feyness, gayness, grayness, Janus, manus