adjective
heinous
HAY-nuhs
adjective
1
Shockingly evil or wicked, especially describing a crime.
"The judge called it one of the most heinous crimes he'd ever seen."
"They were charged with a heinous act of violence."
How to Use Heinous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishExtremely wicked or shockingly bad — used almost exclusively for serious crimes and cruelty.
When to use it
A strong, formal word, common in legal and news contexts rather than everyday speech.
Common pairings
heinous crime
heinous act
Word Forms
more heinous comparative, most heinous superlative
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Etymology
From Old French haïneus, "hateful," itself from haïr, "to hate" — tracing back to a Frankish word for hatred.