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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Supposedly the poem was inspired by a peyote-vision where the edifice of San Francisco’s Sir Francis Drake Hotel was transformed into a hideous, twisted, demonic visage, which inspired the beating heart of Howl’s second section. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 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 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 animation is truly ugly, the characters moving at the framerate of a PowerPoint and looking less like the animals they’re supposed to be than weird hybrid troll creatures.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The wrong paint color, outdated furniture, and yes, even an ugly light fixture could be aging your home and (ugh) majorly cramping its style.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Fatima Hayward of Blue Finch Films called Zevenbergen a genuine new voice in genre filmmaking, saying his blend of body horror and campy Nickelodeon-style nostalgia has resulted in a gruesome yet heartfelt ode to cinema.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The ensuing encounter, probably the most gruesome cinematic dental scene since Marathon Man, will scare you into scheduling a deep cleaning post-haste.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • The bizarre and grotesque outcome is that the repressiveness of the state proves to be its own reward.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Midge's grotesque, defiant nature challenged societal norms, solidifying her as a pioneering and powerful figure in comics.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of grotesque
Adjective
  • This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That it’s populated with disgusting creatures and monsters, Jackson’s forté, doesn’t hurt.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Russia is slowly edging towards its territorial goal of taking the Donbas – albeit through rendering the remaining ground held by Ukraine uninhabitable through horrific drone strikes on all signs of civilian and military life.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Built in 1928 by Gordon Kaufmann, and a gift from Edward Doheny to his son Ned and his family, the stately Tudor Revival was home to a horrific tragedy.
    — Amanda Karkoutly, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • The identity of the unpleasing Lindsay Marriott’s slayer has no pressing interest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of unpleasing
Adjective
  • As horrible news stories go, few could compare with what happened on a Greek holiday island Monday.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reelection campaign just got worse after Wednesday night’s debate in Sherman Oaks.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The number was so shocking that the company became a symbol of industrial power and financial concentration.
    — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking

Browse Nearby Words

hideosity
hideous
hideousness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All