heinous

adjective

Definition of heinousnext
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

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 Top law enforcement officials in Western Europe said Rio’s death is part of a growing and terrifying trend of kids being recruited and groomed online by criminal gangs to commit heinous acts. — ABC News, 12 June 2026 Seeing Biden’s devastating weakness, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Hamas terrorists launched the heinous October 7th attack on Israel. — New York Times, 11 June 2026 New York City summers are borderline heinous. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 7 June 2026 Companies have been offering discounts, convenience, and free services in exchange for access to your data for years, from loyalty cards and cookies to dashcams, insurance apps monitoring how people drive, and that heinous smart TV that’s always showing ads. — Robert Hart, The Verge, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
  1. horrific
  2. gruesome
  3. sickening
  4. shocking
  5. disgusting
  6. terrible
  7. horrible
  8. ugly
Adjective
  • On one level, Knife is a story of survival and recovery after a horrific attack.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026
  • Mosley’s case drew the attention of Guardian Angel founder and 2025 Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who stood with animal lovers in demanding a stiff penalty in response to the cat’s horrific death.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • The rest of the trailer is filled with the kind of Eighties-style excess — with a gruesome tinge — that showcases what a good match Ellis and Murphy are for each other.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
  • Their early live shows were marked by ominous guitar riffs, blast beats, and gruesome antics onstage, feeding into the early signs of a new heavy metal subgenre that would become death metal.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • The 2022 spill was the largest ever from the Keystone pipeline, killing or sickening 2,700 animals.
    — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
  • But there are multiple Ebola strains, and those vaccines, treatments, and tests aren’t effective against the rarer strain, Bundibugyo, sickening people today.
    — Alice Park, Time, 2 July 2026
Definition of sickening
Adjective
  • The Packers then blew a 21-3 halftime lead in the Wild Card round against Chicago, gave up 25 fourth quarter points and eventually suffered a shocking 31-27 loss to the arch-rival Bears.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Here’s a look back at the most infamous, shocking, blood-curdling or mysterious crimes and disasters that captured the attention of the nation — and the world.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.
    — Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
  • Noah Kahan is speaking out about a disgusting habit picked up by some music fans.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • To sit still now would send a terrible message to a clubhouse full of pros, all of whom know the score.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • Spieth decided the ball sitting on a steep slope and potentially on a terrible lie wasn’t playable.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • The toll was horrible, with some families suffering multiple deaths and injuries.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Plus, Palmer is a horrible person — in this case, the victim is much more despicable than the thieves.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of ugly

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heinies
heinous
heinousness
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Cite this Entry

“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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