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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heinous
At the same time, Clark and Vasquez, by recording their heinous act, may have been trying to create a vibe for their own digital communities on Discord, a chat service that has become popular with gamers and extremists.
—
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
After it was revealed earlier this month that cops have been called to the home of former MLB pitcher Carl Pavano and his ex-wife nine times over the last two years, more heinous allegations against Pavano have emerged.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Accused and now convicted of such a heinous crime.
—Melissa Gaffney, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Ma supports the death penalty for those who kill police officers in the line of duty or commit heinous crimes against women and children.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
After it was revealed earlier this month that cops have been called to the home of former MLB pitcher Carl Pavano and his ex-wife nine times over the last two years, more heinous allegations against Pavano have emerged.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Accused and now convicted of such a heinous crime.
—Melissa Gaffney, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Ma supports the death penalty for those who kill police officers in the line of duty or commit heinous crimes against women and children.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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Not just their physical injuries, horrific in themselves.—
Susan Rona,
Time,
1 June 2026
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Accompanying the violence, both the Naxals and the security forces – including local militia raised to combat the rebels – have been accused of horrific human rights abuses, including abductions, torture and rape.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
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So united and powerful were these Indigenous people that some of their enemies started to get desperate, that whiff of anxiety taking on a sickening stench.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Where the movie’s true eccentricity comes in is in its combination of breezy comedy with shocking brutality and gore, perhaps most exemplified in an oddly casual moment in a morgue where Seagal and Wayans find a clue in the form of a serial number on a dead woman’s breast implant.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
5 June 2026
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Crayton said that the decision to allow Alabama to ignore the lower court’s ruling was shocking.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Seeing a game get shipped off to a foreign land for no good reason is even more disgusting.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Historically, South America has proven irresistible to certain inhabitants of the northern hemisphere eager to escape the consequences of their terrible actions.—
David Futrelle,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
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In retrospect, the Supreme Court decision that opened the widespread legalization of sports betting was a terrible, terrible mistake.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Lemieux was 37, and had a reputation as one of those players who knew where to be, and when, around the ugly areas on the ice in a playoff game.—
Mac Engel
May 29,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
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We, viewers and voters, are subjected to very ugly photographs and rhetoric.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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