heathen 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhē-t͟hən How to pronounce heathen (audio)
Definition of heathennext
as in barbarian
not civilized old missionaries who mistakenly thought that they were going off to China to tame the heathen hordes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

heathen

2 of 2

noun

1
as in pagan
a person who does not worship the God of the Bible a study of the beliefs and practices of ancient heathens

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2
as in primitive
an uncivilized person European colonizers, who considered the New World peoples to be heathens, forced them to conform to European ways

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heathen
Adjective
The Cincinnati Bengals welcome the media heathen universe for a gab session/sitdown, linen-tablecloth lunch known in This Space as The Mock Turtle Soupfest and Weenie Roast. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 28 May 2019 Each essay will identify a contemporary issue, discuss it through the lens of heathen myths, and suggest a solution based on heathen ideals. — Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2017
Noun
Predictably, the hubbub surrounding the photo was eventually framed as a war between uptight virgins and godless heathens, with a quieter contingent astounded only by the fact that this kind of marketing could still be so effective. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025 Among Catholic Filipinos, the stereotype of the Moros as dangerous heathens lingers, and discrimination against them remains widespread. — Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heathen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heathen
  1. barbarian
  2. pagan
  3. primitive
  4. rude
  5. savage
  6. wild
Adjective
  • Language would have been a part of the divide between Roman and barbarian.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.
    — Sanat Pai RaikarAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Definition of barbarian
Noun
  • The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.
    — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Women carry these on their heads in a festival every four years, incorporating pagan and harvest rituals into Catholic celebration during the Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays) in late June or early July (next up in 2027).
    — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of pagan
Noun
  • Inventory scanners flag every primitive the library makes available.
    — Atsushi Yamada, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • What follows this admission is a piercing dissection not of the art itself, but of frameworks of looking at Black art and life that go beyond racist tropes disguised as appeals to the primitive, the spontaneous, the corporeal.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • No rude reality intrudes on Avedon’s dream city, where the women are beautiful and in love and even the bystanders are charmed.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Which was frankly rude, since it’s been living in my house for a decade.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Rush’s musical complexity leaned towards proggy adventures with time signatures and song structure, while Steely Dan were more inclined to wedge wild stacks of jazz chords into pop songs.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Bears, wild pigs, mountain lions and coyotes were at the top of the list in California, according to the study.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of wild

Browse Nearby Words

heath
heathen
heathenish
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Cite this Entry

“Heathen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heathen. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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