heinous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heinous
1325–75; Middle English heynous < Middle French haineus, equivalent to haine hatred (derivative of haïr to hate < Germanic ) + -eus -ous
Explanation
A heinous crime is very evil or wicked. Of course, some people only use the term as an exaggeration, claiming that their parents' requirement that they write thank you notes after their birthdays is a heinous form of torture. Heinous descends from Middle English, from Old French haineus, from haine "hatred," from hair "to hate." So when you want to use the word heinous in all seriousness, think of acts that are considered hateful (or outrageous, and shocking). Think: treason, torture, the clubbing of baby seals. Heinous is pronounced HĀ-nəs.
Vocabulary lists containing heinous
Brave New World
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The Other Wes Moore
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described the case as "appalling", adding that the two girls had "shown extraordinary bravery and strength in heinous circumstances".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
But in an attempt to make a cereal for men, the brand has created something arguably more heinous: Manosphere cereal.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
In “The Sheep Detectives,” the woolly ungulates themselves set about solving a heinous crime: gathering evidence, bringing it to light, and even drawing diagrams to point dimwitted humans in the right direction.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, said that the Jewish community continued to mourn Kessler’s loss and welcomed “the admission of guilt for this heinous crime.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Using it to keep any witch quiet now was considered a most heinous offense.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
