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
According to Greek mythology, anyone who looks upon the hideous Medusa turns to stone.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
The Jets did precious little against the hideous Dallas defense and, on the other side of the ball, allowed scoring drives of 90 and 91 yards.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
One of the most hideous of the victim/perps is Jennifer McCabe.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
The Jets did precious little against the hideous Dallas defense and, on the other side of the ball, allowed scoring drives of 90 and 91 yards.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
One of the most hideous of the victim/perps is Jennifer McCabe.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hideous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hideous
Adjective
-
The duo first split in 2024 and confirmed the news in February 2025, before things took a dramatically ugly turn.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The Nets had already been through ugly this season.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The roommate of a man who was stabbed inside his Baltimore home is speaking about the gruesome crime in a WJZ Investigates exclusive.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of picturing that exercise as long and gruesome, try breaking it up.—
Avery Newmark,
AJC.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Those artists never stopped creating scenes that captured the vibrancy—and sometimes the more grotesque side too—of places that remain world capitals today.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The grotesque charade didn’t seem to belong to this world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
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Regardless, the effects are both disgusting and well-executed.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With the partial restoration of internet access, people inside the country and others who have left in recent days shared videos and stories with ABC News that shows the horrific nature of the regime's suppression of the protests.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
-
Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
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Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists, and the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of a 116-110 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night in the star guard’s second visit to Dallas since his shocking trade to the Lakers almost a calendar year ago.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
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The relentless flow of appalling events eventually overloads the nervous system; the rising tide of brutality, which once seemed shocking, comes to seem unremarkable.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hideous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hideous. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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