adjective
hideous
HIHD-ee-uhs
adjective
1
Extremely or shockingly ugly.
"The monster in the film had a hideous, twisted face."
2
Morally shocking or detestable.
"The crime was a hideous betrayal of trust."
How to Use Hideous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishExtremely ugly or shocking, used for appearance or for something morally awful.
Common pairings
hideous creature
hideous crime
Word Forms
more hideous comparative, most hideous superlative
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The monster in the film had a _____, twisted face.
Etymology
From Old French "hideus," ultimately from a word meaning "horror" or "fear" — the word originally carried a sense of something terrifying rather than merely unattractive.