HEINOUS Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

heinous

adjective

Definition of heinous

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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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 heinous Two juries in Chicago and New York City convicted Kelly of a series of heinous crimes involving minors and child pornography. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 In addition to the lack of concrete evidence, the prosecution had to work against the notion at the time that a woman could not feasibly commit such a heinous crime. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 The six accounts that the company’s moderators left up had shared many heinous videos, including a toddler being struck in the face with a frying pan, a girl being beaten with a baseball bat, and a baby being kicked. — Jon Christian, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026 The settlement will bring life-changing money to survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes, Sigrid McCawley, managing partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, said in a statement Monday. — Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heinous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous

Adjective

He will be punished, defense says Facing the jury, Brenner said they will be exposed to horrific photographs that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.

— Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of horrific

Adjective

The gruesome 2023 murder of Choi, who rubbed shoulders with showbiz elites at fashion events and had a significant following online, sent shockwaves through the wealthy financial hub and made global headlines.

— Chris Lau, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
High-scoring winger Kevin Fiala, meanwhile, will miss the first couple of months, at least, after experiencing a setback in his return from a gruesome leg injury sustained at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of gruesome

Adjective

Beyond the ugly-duckling implications and the patent objectification and humiliation of women, the show’s portrayal of plastic surgery itself struck me as dark and sort of sickening.

— Jolene Edgar, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Perhaps the most sickening part of the entire encounter is that both Oleynik and Kravchenko are seen holding the turtle's hatchlings, posing for photos and smiling as if everything is cool.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of sickening

Adjective

The officers shared the shocking recording Wednesday in hopes of identifying the driver, whose license plate cannot be discerned in the clip.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
With a little bit of separation from the shocking and utterly devastating news of Dolly the late singer’s death, a clearer view of what actually happened to Parton is starting to emerge.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of shocking

Adjective

In any case, the nation’s approach toward Europe was not to meddle in its internal affairs but, rather, to avoid another terrible Continental war.

— Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Offensive lineman Steve Avila was a member of the 2024 Rams team that turned it around after a terrible start.

— Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

That's on the heels of a 41-7 blowout at Northwestern that was ugly enough for Deion Sanders to dismiss a handful of players for conduct detrimental to the team days later.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
In a world where (good, bad and ugly) answers and options are available, an employer needs a workforce that understands the business objectives and can weed through the noise to identify and execute the best solution.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of ugly

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“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of heinous

adjective

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