WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
hid•e•ous /ˈhɪdiəs/USA pronunciation
adj.
hid•e•ous•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- horrible or frightful to the senses;
repulsive;
very ugly:a hideous monster. - shockingly bad or evil:hideous crimes.
- causing distress;
appalling:a hideous expense.
hid•e•ous•ness, n. [uncountable]
hid•e•ous
(hid′ē əs),USA pronunciation adj.
hid′e•ous•ly, adv.
hid′e•ous•ness, hid•e•os•i•ty
(hid′ē os′i tē),USA pronunciation n.
- horrible or frightful to the senses; repulsive;
very ugly:a hideous monster. - shocking or revolting to the moral sense:a hideous crime.
- distressing;
appalling:the hideous expense of moving one's home to another city.
- Old High German *egisida, akin to egisôn, agison to frighten) + -os -ous; suffix later assimilated to -eous
- Old French hisdos, equivalent. to hisde horror, fright (perh.
- Middle English hidous 1275–1325
- 1. 2. grisly, grim; repellent, detestable, odious, monstrous, dreadful, appalling, ghastly.
- 1. attractive, pleasing.
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