hideous — extremely ugly or unpleasant to look at
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely ugly or unpleasant to look at
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈhɪdiəs/
Example Sentences
- My morning hair looks absolutely hideous before I comb it.
- The hideous painting in the hotel room gave me nightmares.
- She thought her driver's license photo was hideous.
hideous
ADJECTIVE[/ˈhɪdiəs/]
extremely ugly or unpleasant to look at
The hideous gargoyle on the cathedral made tourists gasp and step back.
His hideous face shows devious joy over tedious schemes
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old French hideus, which is related to the Old French hide meaning 'to hide' or 'to conceal'. The sense developed from the idea of something so ugly or repulsive that one would want to hide it from view.
Breakdown
hideus (Old French: 'hideous') + -ous (suffix forming adjectives). The root relates to hide (conceal), with the adjectival suffix -ous indicating a quality or state of being.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My morning hair looks absolutely hideous before I comb it.”
“The hideous painting in the hotel room gave me nightmares.”
“She thought her driver's license photo was hideous.”
“The hideous smell from the garbage made everyone leave the room.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.