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
Joe getting exposed for his many heinous crimes and spending the rest of his days behind bars.
—
Andy Swift, TVLine, 18 May 2025
The series follows an aspiring author, cursed with writer’s block and ridden with debt, who is offered a huge amount of money to commit a heinous crime.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.
—Shane Croucher
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Justice is not always served when those who commit heinous crimes are locked up for life.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Andy Swift, TVLine, 18 May 2025
The series follows an aspiring author, cursed with writer’s block and ridden with debt, who is offered a huge amount of money to commit a heinous crime.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Terrorists should know there’s no place to hide from their heinous crimes against the innocent.
—Shane Croucher
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Justice is not always served when those who commit heinous crimes are locked up for life.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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The war has carried a horrific toll for Gazans, with many dead amid the fighting and whole neighborhoods razed to the ground.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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Instead of just ending on that horrific moment, the show then cuts to Abby several days earlier.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Then, on November 25, 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a gruesome package in the mail.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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The gruesome recovery comes in the wake of a gruesome February incident, when a body was found inside a suitcase floating in the East River.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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But the defense is hoping to cast her recollections merely as sickening details in a deranged love story between two consenting and jealous adults.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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For years, raw sewage from Mexico has poured across the border into Southern California, fouling beaches, sickening residents and sparking diplomatic as well as environmental concerns.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 May 2025
Adjective
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Read more: Lakers' Bronny James Among NBA's Elite in One Unique Category Following the shocking comeback victory, Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark could not contain her excitement.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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The shocking 2023 implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible, which instantly killed all five passengers, is the subject of a damning new documentary from Netflix.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But unfortunately, that also means Big Mouth, the cartoon about all the disgusting, messy parts of growing up from Nick Kroll, must also conclude as well.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
19 May 2025
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Donning silly British accents, Johansson joins Gardner, Fineman, and Sherman for a disgusting and messy meal.—
Andy Hoglund Updated,
EW.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
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Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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There’s no doubt that Lewis, abandoned as a baby by his parents, has done some horrible stuff.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2025
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Given the horrible economic incentives that government regulation has created, the surprise is not that some patients experience mistreatment.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
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The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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