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
While the criminal justice system continues to hold Robert accountable for his heinous crimes and seeks to protect potential future victims through close monitoring and probation limitations, Cindy will continue to fully pursue justice via the civil justice system.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Any found guilty of truly heinous crimes.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
That 1968 Roman Polanski horror film casts a long shadow over They Will Kill You, which also involves unwitting victims, eccentric neighbors, heinous rituals, and hell’s landlord.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026
While Brandon and Rosa Williams bear the ultimate responsibility for these heinous actions, there are, sadly, others to blame as well.
—Vaughan Bagley, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Any found guilty of truly heinous crimes.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
That 1968 Roman Polanski horror film casts a long shadow over They Will Kill You, which also involves unwitting victims, eccentric neighbors, heinous rituals, and hell’s landlord.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2026
While Brandon and Rosa Williams bear the ultimate responsibility for these heinous actions, there are, sadly, others to blame as well.
—Vaughan Bagley, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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The charges revealed key details and were among the first concrete public moves made in a grisly and horrific case that had been under a largely secret investigation in the seven months since the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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On Thursday, another horrific crime rattled the city —15-year-old Jaden Pierre was beaten and fatally shot at point-blank range in a Queens playground.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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What follows is a crescendo of bloody madness, including a gruesome toenail cutting scene that shouldn’t be viewed while eating, a grandma being eaten alive by a pack of coyotes and a truly bonkers wake that erupts into laugh-out-loud violence thanks to a pair of dentures.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Since then, The Pitt has blown up in an unlikely way for any cultural object in the 2020s, much less a gruesome medical drama.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Andi's heart gave a single, sickening jolt that emptied her lungs.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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In a sickening moment broadcast live after Boyes’s shot missed, Long moved quickly about, shooting many hostages.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
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The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
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Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If anything, great public pressure being brought to bear is a terrible reason to dispense with due-process protections designed to protect the legal rights of individuals, and crafting one exception would seem to create a precedent for crafting others.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Some members of Congress, along with airline CEOs and analysts, say the bailout would be a terrible idea.—
Donald Judd,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On that horrible day, Dad was outside his vehicle supervising a ditch cleaning operation when a driver ignored traffic control devices, drove through a closed lane, and struck him, pinning him between two vehicles.—
Allysson Bornt,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
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And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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An ugly first period added to the initial grimness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Their pricey homegrown core — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs — combined to go 13-of-42 from the field and an ugly 1-of-13 from deep.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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