as in horrific
very bad or evil; deserving of hate or contempt
These murders were especially heinous. the heinous brutality of the attack
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heinous
House Republicans jammed Democrats with a party-line spending plan that is especially heinous in its cuts to the District of Columbia.
—
Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
After rapper Kanye West attacked her 7-year-old grandchildren in a heinous, unprovoked tirade, Mama Tina took to Instagram with an indirect message for the problematic rapper.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 20 Mar. 2025
In other words, no matter how heinous the crime (including murder), a defendant could come into court and ask to get out of prison.
—Haven Shoemaker, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2025
There is a constant moral conflict in being related to somebody who committed heinous crimes.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
After rapper Kanye West attacked her 7-year-old grandchildren in a heinous, unprovoked tirade, Mama Tina took to Instagram with an indirect message for the problematic rapper.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 20 Mar. 2025
In other words, no matter how heinous the crime (including murder), a defendant could come into court and ask to get out of prison.
—Haven Shoemaker, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2025
There is a constant moral conflict in being related to somebody who committed heinous crimes.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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With that horrific risk in mind, the crew hatches a new plan.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Viscerally horrific, conceptually mindblowing, achingly humane.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
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This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Scientists had initially feared this spread could represent another Ebola-like crisis — since that disease originated in animals, then jumped to humans, sickening and killing a large number of people.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
19 Mar. 2025
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The disconnect between the reality that many people are currently experiencing hunger, in part because of climate change, and this fancy dinner was sickening.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Leaders around the world have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking new tariffs that threaten to upend the global economy with stern words and denunciations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Do not tell the patient disgusting hospital stories about your own operations or procedures.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
2 Apr. 2025
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Using that platform to engage in partisan attacks and accuse former Department leadership of weaponizing law enforcement is a disgusting betrayal of those values.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That pollution causes an ugly brown smog to blanket the skyline on hot summer days and causes people, especially those with respiratory problems, to struggle to breathe.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
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And at a moment where reality TV shows are proliferating, but often with an ugly underbelly, the cable brand is betting that its antidote will resonate with an audience on both linear TV and streaming.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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