1
as in ugly
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
the hideous way in which she treated her maid after she discovered her ring was missing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a hideous crime that could not be fully described in the newspapers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grotesque
unpleasant to look at
wearing a hideous Halloween mask that made the kids all jump with fright
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hideous
This used to be a death knell—the shoes that fit the bill were hideous until a few years ago.
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Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Such is a snarky line that Emily Blunt delivers as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, a character who would rather faint than wear something hideous.
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Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.
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New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
All our buildings are these hideous rectangles.
—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Such is a snarky line that Emily Blunt delivers as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, a character who would rather faint than wear something hideous.
—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.
—
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
All our buildings are these hideous rectangles.
—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hideous
Adjective
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With one notable exception, everyone over there has nothing but ugly things to say about their main villa counterparts.
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Women superheroes have always activated an ugly segment of the internet.
Adjective
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The men escape, but their frantic exit leads them through the gruesome Terminus food-supply dungeon, where fresh corpses hang on meathooks.
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With two gruesome losses, meanwhile, Tunisia — Netherlands’ foe Thursday at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium — has been eliminated already and cannot advance to the knockout round, no matter the outcome in KC.
Adjective
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One of the earliest signs that the new Supergirl will be an uninspired slog is the overload of blobby alien dirtbags, grotesque creatures that look like they were refused admission to the Mos Eisley Cantina in the original Star Wars movie.
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Beyond that, its charm lies in its ghoulishly grotesque humor and wildly expressive animation.
Adjective
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French broadcaster French Pierron was under fire for calling childbirth 'a disgusting moment.
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How to make the moment scary but watchable, disgusting but entrancing?
Adjective
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What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence.
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First of all, the suffering of the Iranian people has been horrific in the context of this unnecessary conflict.
Adjective
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The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
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Usually a team of elegant offense, Michigan instead clanked 13 triples off the rim and relied on its inside defensive ferocity to win a game nearly as aesthetically unpleasing as UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in 2011.
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Adjective
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The 29-year-old began her comeback Saturday at the American Classic in Champlin, Minnesota, just days after announcing her shocking return to the sport.
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Cape Verde earned three draws in the group stage – the shocking Spain result, running with Uruguay in the second match and ending up in a scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday.
Cite this Entry
“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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