hideous

adjective

hid·​eous ˈhi-dē-əs 

1

: offensive to the senses and especially to sight : exceedingly ugly

hideous furniture

The dress looked hideous on her.

2

: morally offensive : shocking

a hideous crime

hideosity

ˌhi-dē-ˈä-sə-tē 

noun

hideously adverb

hideousness noun

Synonyms

• ugly
• disgusting
• awful
• horrible
• sickening
• shocking
• obscene
• dreadful
• obnoxious
• offensive
• nasty

Examples of hideous in a Sentence

The room was filled with hideous furniture.

the hideous way in which she treated her maid after she discovered her ring was missing

Recent Examples on the Web

The last two decades spent without a Devil Wears Prada sequel started to feel a little bit like enduring a 20-year hideous skirt convention. —EW.com, 28 July 2025

Friday’s opening hours were hideous as the sellers from Thursday finished. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 July 2025

First, the haunted other-place beyond the staircase’s last step is a truly hideous proposition, making this Wendig’s darkest novel to date. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 8 July 2025

Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation. —Armond White, National Review, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English hidous, from Anglo-French hidus, hisdos, from Old French hisde, hide terror

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hideous

• fastidious
• insidious
• invidious

Kids Definition

hideous

adjective

hid·​eous ˈhid-ē-əs 

: horribly ugly or disgusting : frightful

hideously adverb

hideousness noun