heinousness

heinous (ˈheɪnəs, ˈhiː-)

—*adj*
	evil; atrocious

[C14: from Old French haineus, from haine hatred, from hair to hate, of Germanic origin; see hate]

'heinously

—*adv*

'heinousness

—n

heinous (ˈheɪnəs, ˈhiː-)

—*adj*
	evil; atrocious

[C14: from Old French haineus, from haine hatred, from hair to hate, of Germanic origin; see hate]

'heinously

—*adv*

'heinousness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

heinous

late 14c., from O.Fr. haineus (Fr. haineux), from haine "hatred," from hair "to hate," from Frankish *hatjan (cf. O.S. haton, O.E. hatian "to hate").

Slang Dictionary

heinous definition

n.
bad; bad-looking; horrible, as in heinous crime. (A standard English word, used in a slangy context.) : Where on earth did you get hat heinous outfit?

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Matching Quote

"He [Johnson] talked of the heinousness of the crime of adultery, by which the peace of families was destroyed. He said, "Confusion of progeny constitutes the essence of the crime; and therefore a woman who breaks her marriage vows is much more criminal than a man who does it. A man, to be sure, is criminal in the sight of God: but he does not do his wife a very material injury, if he does not insult her; if, for instance, from mere wantonness of appetite, he steals privately to her chambermaid. Sir, a wife ought not greatly to resent this.... A wife should study to reclaim her husband by more attention to please him.""

-Samuel Johnson

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Related Words

enormity

heinous