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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Recent Examples of heinous
After being blindsided by Hamas’s heinous attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have, during more than a year of intense operations in Gaza, laid waste to its command structure and almost completely degraded its capabilities.
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Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024
In a police interview, Grayson described the younger teens as committing the most heinous acts during the crime.
—Marty Roney, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The Manipulated Wrongfully imprisoned for a heinous crime, mild-mannered Tae-jung (Ji Chang-wook) discovers that a mysterious figure named Yo-han (Doh Kyung-soo) orchestrated his downfall.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
But Hippler said the team had not made its case, and that the heinous crime warranted a stiff penalty.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heinous 
Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024
In a police interview, Grayson described the younger teens as committing the most heinous acts during the crime.
—Marty Roney, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
The Manipulated Wrongfully imprisoned for a heinous crime, mild-mannered Tae-jung (Ji Chang-wook) discovers that a mysterious figure named Yo-han (Doh Kyung-soo) orchestrated his downfall.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
But Hippler said the team had not made its case, and that the heinous crime warranted a stiff penalty.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heinous
Adjective
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Eric Gordon was also supposed to provide some secondary ball-handling off the bench in theory, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old is off to a horrific start this season.Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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Former detainees at the horrific Saydnaya prison near Damascus said Amer had disappeared in mid-April 2015 after being tortured there.Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Prehistoric Rock Art Sites Created 'Multisensory Experience' For Hunter-Gatherers By Aristos Georgiou Science and Health Reporter 0 A collection of prehistoric human remains has revealed gruesome insights into a brutal massacre that took place more than 4,000 years ago.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
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Police think the gruesome gunshot death is suicide.Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Reviews of the film at the time tended to single out the career-best performance of Jason Patric, primarily because, as the aggro, rape-minded workout buddy to Eckhart’s weak-spined Barry, Patric’s is the showiest and most sickening role.Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024
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The yearling scrambled back up its tree, then let go and fell, landing with a sickening thud.Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This outcome was always a possibility for the Red Sox, but what is truly shocking is the lack of urgency and effort from the Boston front office.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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Amid his season of highs, Scheffler was also at the center of the most shocking day in golf major championship history when he was arrested and booked in a Louisville, Ky. jail over a traffic miscommunication at the PGA Championship.Jenna West, The Athletic, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That ends up dislodging the disgusting foreign item in Larry's throat.Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
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Leigh goes for the gags in this one, from Broadbent’s workplace pratfall to friend of the family Aubrey’s (Timothy Spall) disgusting new restaurant.Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Jack McBrayer plays a flustered resort concierge who delivers the terrible news to two bridezilla-esque adults who won’t be walking down the aisle in white but are still very invested in the nuptials.Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
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Food is terrible, the vibe is off, absolutely trash.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Although there is high demand among students for internships and other work opportunities, our education-employer ecosystem is doing a horrible job delivering them.Brandon Busteed, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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Everyone is forgetting conveniently about October 7, but that was a horrible day for the world, not for Israel, for the world.TIME Staff, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In a Hungarian cartoon from around 1951, Churchill is seen as an ugly villain, ready to set households and factories on fire.Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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For many people, finding the perfect ugly Christmas sweater is an annual tradition.Shea Simmons, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near heinous
Cite this Entry
“Heinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heinous. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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