Link Centre Dictionary

hideous

hi·deous

UK/ˈhɪd.i.əs/ US/ˈhɪd͡ʒəs/ fairly common

adjective

1.

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

  • “subjected to outrageous cruelty”
  • “a hideous pattern of injustice”
  • “horrific conditions in the mining industry”
Synonyms
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2.

so extremely ugly as to be terrifying

  • “a hideous scar”
  • “a repulsive mask”
Synonyms
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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”). Alternative etymology cites possible derivation from Latin hispidosus (“rugged”), from hispidus (“rough, bristly”), yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.