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
For this heinous crime, Brennick receives a punishing sentence at the futuristic, high-tech fortress prison run by the nefarious Men-Tel Corporation.
—
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
With the Estate’s financial success growing, the Cascios, through two different attorneys, threatened to go public with heinous accusations that completely contradicted their previous statements defending Michael unless his Estate paid staggering sums of money.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Still, pro-execution sentiment remains strong for particularly heinous crimes with clear perpetrators.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
This heinous incident appears to be a deliberate act intended to punish the victim by exploiting her love for her pet.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026
With the Estate’s financial success growing, the Cascios, through two different attorneys, threatened to go public with heinous accusations that completely contradicted their previous statements defending Michael unless his Estate paid staggering sums of money.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Still, pro-execution sentiment remains strong for particularly heinous crimes with clear perpetrators.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
This heinous incident appears to be a deliberate act intended to punish the victim by exploiting her love for her pet.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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And also, the way that the wish is impacting Bear is ultimately horrific.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
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But a new era of DEI was ushered in after the horrific murder of George Floyd.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The teens recorded their attack Monday and the gruesome 10 minute video was widely shared to a website where people post videos depicting extreme violence.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Similarly economical and granularly detailed is a 20-minute sequence in the middle of the film that’s gruesome, comical and crucial to the propulsion of the story.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, has sparked global concern in recent weeks after causing the death of three passengers and sickening at least eight others aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling from Argentina across the Atlantic.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
18 May 2026
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Accumulating plastic waste is overwhelming waterways and oceans, sickening marine life and threatening human health.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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As shocking as this slush fund is, it should best be understood as one more test for what the administration can get away with.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
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Slaten endured a shocking meltdown, allowing a pair of two-run home runs that put the Twins ahead in Boston’s eventual 8-6 loss.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Both are also, objectively speaking, disgusting.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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What could be more cunning and disgusting than training dogs to commit anal rape?—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
Adjective
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Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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But there is a right to be concerned about Levshunov after an ugly 2025-26.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Between archival footage and photos of Lennon and Ono, there are dozens of jarring, ugly visuals, seemingly generated by entering Ono and Lennon’s dialogue into a machine that spits out bizarrely literal interpretations of text.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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