hideous

Meaning

Adjective

• Extremely or shockingly ugly.
• Having a very unpleasant or frightening sound
• Hateful; shocking.
• Morally offensive; shocking; detestable.

Related

Similar words

• frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, grotesque, horrid, dreadful, terrible

Origin

• From Middle English hidous, from Anglo-Norman hidous, from Old French hideus, hydus, 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, Old English egesa ("fear, dread"), Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 ("fear, terror").
• Alternative etymology cites possible derivation from Latin hispidosus ("rugged"), from hispidus, yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.