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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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 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

My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
In late August, a horrific but fortunately injury-free blaze at the Folsom Flea Market wreaked havoc on a number of small local businesses operating out of the space.

— Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrific

Adjective

Against the backdrop of a gruesome day, the Hebrew-language movie unfolds individual emotions and lives both before and during the attack, everyday problems of course not stopping with the tragedy, just interacting with it.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
For centuries, this scene has been believed to show Harold’s gruesome end.

— Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 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

Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.

— Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of heinous

adjective

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