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
Next, law enforcement must rigorously interrogate the men and women who exchanged chummy emails with Epstein and played in his hideous sandbox.
—
Amy Wallace, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
The 4chan logic that turned even the most hideous news and ideas into empty entertainment pervades everything on the internet now—more proof that lol, nothing matters.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
The hideous curbside piles of frozen slush blocking New York City streets have a name.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
That this hideous crime was executed by 15-year-old young adults is horrifying.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Amy Wallace, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
The 4chan logic that turned even the most hideous news and ideas into empty entertainment pervades everything on the internet now—more proof that lol, nothing matters.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
The hideous curbside piles of frozen slush blocking New York City streets have a name.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
That this hideous crime was executed by 15-year-old young adults is horrifying.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hideous
Adjective
-
Gavin Newsom loves to brag about his accomplishments as governor — a syndrome that sometimes backfires when reality raises its ugly head.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Stocks are quickly deteriorating, with each of the major averages on pace to post an ugly month of losses as hopes for a quick resolution to the Middle East conflict gives way to fear.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The gruesome images of tanks blown apart by drones in Ukraine did not dissuade anyone from purchasing these systems.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Because of his ability to appeal to jurors with at times folksy explanations of gruesome subjects like the dynamic of blood spatter, prosecution and defense lawyers competed for his testimony at trials.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The finale is a suitably grotesque affair with a body count that’s impressive even by genre standards.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The two largest power conferences have bulked up to grotesque proportions, sprawling footprints and ravenous ambitions, thanks to the influence of TV partners Fox and ESPN.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Building Alligator Alcatraz and being proud of treating people inhumanely while at the same time stealing money for his charity is disgusting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To the stories and history of his grandparents in the El Salvador of the 1980s when a horrific civil war raged.—
Sara Sidner,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The now-notorious Gosselin family of Jon & Kate Plus 8 was secular to the point of the titular couple divorcing, and multiple Gosselin children have since leveled horrific allegations of abuse against their mother.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Rosemary makes one of the best companion plants for apple trees because of its strong scent that's unpleasing to critters looking to snack on a juicy red apple.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exhibition pairs their work together, showing the value of shocking style in a moment of conservatism.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Pastor Stephen Perumalla said the circumstances are shocking.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
