as in horrific
very bad or evil; deserving of hate or contempt
These murders were especially heinous. the heinous brutality of the attack
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Recent Examples of heinous
Aside from the nine inmates, many of whom have been charged with heinous violent crimes, several relatives and jail staffers have been arrested on suspicion of aiding the escapees.
—
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
New York’s fade is particularly heinous.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Judges are human and, like the rest of us, listen to heinous accusations and do their best to leave emotions outside the court and oversee a trial with professionalism.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Any found guilty of truly heinous crimes.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
New York’s fade is particularly heinous.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Judges are human and, like the rest of us, listen to heinous accusations and do their best to leave emotions outside the court and oversee a trial with professionalism.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Any found guilty of truly heinous crimes.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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However, watching the slow and steady movement of a horrific storm on a collision course with my beloved land over the last several days was agonizing.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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According to police, the horrific incident began when the child’s mother, who was out of town on Friday, asked her father to check on her daughter as she was being cared for by the nanny.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Halloween was significantly more graphic than many of its predecessors, and Zombie said the gruesome violence was a deliberate choice and that it wasn’t supposed to be easy viewing.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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The five-minute mash-up rapidly intercuts scenes of happy domesticity (a loving mother, kids in face paint eating popcorn in front of the tube, teens affectionately goofing around) with gruesome murders committed by a beautiful little boy.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Winter is coming, and no amount of Narcan can solve this sickening public health crisis.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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The injury was so sickening that the CBS broadcast only replayed it once, lest anyone with a weak stomach lose their lunch.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, the final moments of season 5 also saw the shocking death of Cinda Canning (Tina Fey) — or a convincing doppelgänger — outside the Arconia, teasing the mystery Mabel, Charles and Oliver.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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But the real draw here is Cut's elaborate torture device, which uses piano wire in inventive and shocking ways.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That would probably be the most disgusting kind.—
Ilana Kaplan,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Continue reading … 'DISGUSTING' – Jen Psaki jokes Usha Vance scared of her husband, ripped for 'disgusting' comments.—
,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There have always been fascist forces, there have always been people who are just terrible in the American government, but at the same time, there are always people who have resisted, and there are always people who have still found ways to create joy, to create life, to create art, despite these.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Marchand’s terrible week ended with joy.—
Adam H. Beasley,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The long-range scoring of Sandell and Thomas provided the night’s most memorable moments, but Mateer helped pace the offense after an ugly 99-yard first half, racking up 252 yards in the second.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Advertisement Ugly sentiments deserve ugly art, though Jude takes a nuanced stance on this matter.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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