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
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
Unfortunately, their appearance is so hideous to ordinary flesh-and-blood creatures that looking at a Medusan is liable to induce madness and death.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
All our buildings are these hideous rectangles.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, their appearance is so hideous to ordinary flesh-and-blood creatures that looking at a Medusan is liable to induce madness and death.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The noise is hideous, but the pollution is much worse.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hideous
Adjective
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Putting to one side any uglier consequences of illness or less fixable emotional wounds, the film follows suit — though there’s only a glancing sense here that death is for life, not just for Christmas.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 Dec. 2025
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Monday's matchup was one of the ugliest games of the year for the Eagles, committing five costly turnovers in the 22-19 loss.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Schlepping from town to town to support his gruesome secret tradition, Billy flashes forward from a terrifying memory from the car-jacking that killed his parents when was 8 years old.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Dec. 2025
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The neighbor found Bethany in her crib and a gruesome crime scene close by.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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His depictions of Kali, in particular, seem preoccupied with violent power, rendered through large and grotesque forms.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
4 June 2026
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The contemporary entertainment industry pushes that logic into nearly grotesque territory, as film and TV productions compete against 24/7 internet feeds and a rapidly changing meme dialect designed to always leave someone out of the loop.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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One of the guests makes a disgusting joke involving the boat and lubricant.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 Aug. 2025
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Danny DeVito, who plays the hilarious and disgusting Frank Reynolds on Always Sunny, used to be married to a fellow comedy legend, Rhea Perlman.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The six-month delay was vehemently opposed by most plaintiff attorneys, who say their clients have suffered horrific abuse and are in desperate need of cash.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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The Oscar-winning Capote had the dramatic advantage of a protagonist investigating a horrific mass murder.—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
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.—
Cesar R. Torres,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
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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.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The companies try to slow down this process by submerging it in oil, but the resulting flavor is horrible.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
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Any justice in the community would praise this murderer’s row of craftspeople working on the production design for the period town setting; makeup, especially Pennywise’s horrible face; sound design, for helping to keep the audio terrors churning along; and the costume work.—
William Earl,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid seemed to have turned a corner with an impressive 3-0 win at Athletic Club last Wednesday, but a shocking 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo on Sunday — characterised by familiar problems out of possession — brought them crashing back down to earth.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
10 Dec. 2025
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There is a chance that the Crimson Tide could make a shocking run to a national championship win.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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