hideous

adjective

ˈhi-dē-əs How to pronounce hideous (audio)
Definition of hideousnext
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

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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

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 hideous This used to be a death knell—the shoes that fit the bill were hideous until a few years ago. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 31 May 2026 After hideous 6-1 loss in Game 4, the theme for the team was to play more connected. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 29 Apr. 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 See All Example Sentences for hideous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hideous
  1. ugly
  2. gruesome
  3. grotesque
  4. disgusting
  5. horrific
  6. unpleasing
  7. horrible
  8. shocking
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The rest of the trailer is filled with the kind of Eighties-style excess — with a gruesome tinge — that showcases what a good match Ellis and Murphy are for each other.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
  • Their early live shows were marked by ominous guitar riffs, blast beats, and gruesome antics onstage, feeding into the early signs of a new heavy metal subgenre that would become death metal.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • There are other moments in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey that are as beautiful as this scene is grotesque.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • On view at New York’s Management Gallery, the exhibition treats the grotesque as an aesthetic on the verge of mutation.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of grotesque
Adjective
  • Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.
    — Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
  • Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.
    — Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • On one level, Knife is a story of survival and recovery after a horrific attack.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026
  • Mosley’s case drew the attention of Guardian Angel founder and 2025 Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who stood with animal lovers in demanding a stiff penalty in response to the cat’s horrific death.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • The remarks not only referred to the aesthetics of the game – tedious matches devoid of skillful merit that were unpleasing to watch.
    — Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
  • 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.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • The toll was horrible, with some families suffering multiple deaths and injuries.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Plus, Palmer is a horrible person — in this case, the victim is much more despicable than the thieves.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Yet somehow, two decades later, the viciously antisemitic Vichy regime planted itself in power; a shocking betrayal by France of some of its most loyal and generous supporters, in a dehumanizing toxic swamp of suspicion, judgment, envy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • As shocking as the scandal surrounding Terrion Arnold is, the 2024 first-round pick had not played that well, and the Lions could be better without him.
    — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of shocking

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hideosity
hideous
hideousness
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Cite this Entry

“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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