as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
the heinousness of the Holocaust was only fully realized after the war
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Recent Examples of heinousness
The case has captured the nation's attention for several reasons over the years, from the heinousness of the charges and the 1,000 survivors to questions about Epstein's connections to the rich and powerful, including the president.
—
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinousness
Noun
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As if to prove that it can’t be exceeded in badness, Playdate has both.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In Hollywood, Star 80 wasn’t treated as a failure; was treated as an atrocity.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
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John and Pam Hughes called it an atrocity.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heinousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinousness. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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