as in barbarian
not civilized
old missionaries who mistakenly thought that they were going off to China to tame the heathen hordes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pagan
a person who does not worship the God of the Bible
a study of the beliefs and practices of ancient heathens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in primitive
an uncivilized person
European colonizers, who considered the New World peoples to be heathens, forced them to conform to European ways
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heathen
Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 30 May 2019
Each essay will identify a contemporary issue, discuss it through the lens of heathen myths, and suggest a solution based on heathen ideals.
—Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2017
Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2021
In addition, both leaders rely on sorcerers – in the case of Pharaoh, the chartumim (magicians); in the case of Balak, the heathen prophet Balaam – to achieve their horrific goal.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for heathen 
Adjective
Some of my brethren and sis-tren (sis-tren?) in the heathen media tribe get all riled up if a player or coach won’t speak to them.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 30 May 2019
Each essay will identify a contemporary issue, discuss it through the lens of heathen myths, and suggest a solution based on heathen ideals.
—Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2017
Noun
The war against the U.S.S.R. lasted nearly a decade, during which the United States and Saudi Arabia funded a campaign to frame the conflict as one between Islam and the heathen communists.
—Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2021
In addition, both leaders rely on sorcerers – in the case of Pharaoh, the chartumim (magicians); in the case of Balak, the heathen prophet Balaam – to achieve their horrific goal.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for heathen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heathen
Adjective
-
Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
-
So, some earlier, some later, but right around the time that the Greeks were talking about these people and excited about their barbarian lifestyle, archaeologists were finding the graves of these people.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
5 June 2015
Noun
-
Church officials decided to recognize Dec. 25 as his birthday, probably to coincide with the date of pagan festivals in an attempt to get pagans to accept Christianity as the official religion.—
Atlanta Life,
ajc,
10 Nov. 2017
-
While plague stalks the land, paranoid peasants swap cautionary folk tales about evil spirits, pagans, Jews and other outsiders.—
Stephen Dalton,
The Hollywood Reporter,
9 Oct. 2017
Noun
-
Burlington Antique Show Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture at this monthly outdoor antique market.—
Luann Gibbs,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2024
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It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Harry would’ve been grumpy and rude, making brusque jokes about inane gender stereotypes and asking direct, invasive questions about anatomy.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Not wanting to be rude, the plumber welcomed Albert in.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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On just his second hole of the day, the 2018 Masters champion teed off at the 12th – renowned for its raucous atmosphere and wild celebrations – with his ball eventually rolling into the cup.—
Ben Morse,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
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Fans speculated, tabloids theorized—but the truth is wilder than fiction.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near heathen
Cite this Entry
“Heathen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heathen. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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