Added 9 October 2026
hideous
/ˈhɪd.i.əs/ adjective
In Latin: taeter Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hideous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Extremely or shockingly ugly.
I’m sorry to break it to you, but your dress looks truly hideous.
- Having a very unpleasant or frightening sound.
- Hateful; shocking.
Origin
From Middle English hidous, from Anglo-Norman hidous, from Old French hideus, hydus (“that which inspires terror”), from earlier hisdos, from Old French hisda (“horror, fear”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Probably from Proto-West Germanic *agisiþu (“horror, terror”), from Proto-West Germanic *agisōn (“to frighten, terrorise”), from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to frighten”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egidī (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (agis, “fear, terror”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)