hideous

UK: /ˈhɪdiəs/ US: /ˈhɪdiəs/ ,(hid′ē əs)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hid•e•ous /ˈhɪdiəs/   adj. 

1. horrible or frightful to the senses;
   repulsive;
   very ugly:
   a hideous monster.
2. shockingly bad or evil:
   hideous crimes.
3. causing distress;
   appalling:
   a hideous expense.

hid•e•ous•ly, adv. 
hid•e•ous•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hid•e•ous  (hid′ē əs), adj. 

1. horrible or frightful to the senses; repulsive;
   very ugly:
   a hideous monster.
2. shocking or revolting to the moral sense:
   a hideous crime.
3. 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

hid′e•ous•ly, adv. 
hid′e•ous•ness, hid•e•os•i•ty  (hid′ē os′i tē), n.  Synonyms

• 1, 2. grisly, grim; repellent, detestable, odious, monstrous, dreadful, appalling, ghastly.

Antonyms

• 1. attractive, pleasing.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hideous / ˈhɪdɪəs/ adjective

1. extremely ugly; repulsive
2. terrifying and horrific

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French hisdos, from hisde fear; of uncertain origin

ˈhideously adverb

ˈhideousness, hideosity / ˌhɪdɪˈɒsɪtɪ/ noun