hideous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled ideous

US /ˈhɪdiəs/ UK /ˈhɪdɪəs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
extremely ugly or repulsive

A hideous gargoyle leered down from the cathedral's parapet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely ugly or repulsive repulsive grotesque monstrous gruesome ghastly repugnant loathsome frightful

Opposites

beautiful attractive lovely gorgeous comely

Word family

Forms hideouslyhideousness

Derived forms hideouslyhideousness

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman hidous, Old French hideus, hisdos ('horrible, dreadful'), from hisde, hide ('fear, horror'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Latin hispidus ('rough, bristly').

hideus Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# hideous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈhɪdiəs
**IPA (UK):** ˈhɪdɪəs

## Meanings
1. extremely ugly or repulsive

## Examples
- A hideous gargoyle leered down from the cathedral's parapet.

## Synonyms
- repulsive
- grotesque
- monstrous
- gruesome
- ghastly
- repugnant
- loathsome
- frightful

## Antonyms
- beautiful
- attractive
- lovely
- gorgeous
- comely

## Derived Forms
- hideously
- hideousness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hideus

## Etymology
From Anglo-Norman hidous, Old French hideus, hisdos ('horrible, dreadful'), from hisde, hide ('fear, horror'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Latin hispidus ('rough, bristly').

## AI Etymology
Hideous comes from Anglo-Norman hidous, Old French hideus, hisdos ('horrible, dreadful'), from hisde, hide ('fear, horror'), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Latin hispidus ('rough, bristly'). The etymological trail includes Old French hideus. As an adjective, hideous describes what is extremely ugly or repulsive. The same family is visible in derived forms such as hideously and hideousness. The wording should be read with that uncertainty intact: the proposed connection is plausible rather than absolute.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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hideous

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