hideous
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
very ugly or unpleasant to look at.
extremely or shockingly ugly in appearance; offensive to the aesthetic sense.
Simple“The old wallpaper was a hideous shade of green that made the room feel dark.”
In context“The new office block was widely condemned as a hideous addition to the historic skyline, clashing violently with the surrounding Victorian architecture.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
very bad, cruel, or shocking in a way that makes you feel angry.
morally offensive, detestable, or shockingly wicked.
Simple“The newspaper reported on the hideous crimes committed during the war.”
In context“The investigation revealed a series of hideous abuses of power that had been systematically covered up by the administration for decades.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a sound that is very loud, frightening, or unpleasant to hear.
producing a very unpleasant, harsh, or frightening sound.
Simple“A hideous screech came from the old brakes as the train stopped.”
In context“The silence of the moor was suddenly shattered by a hideous, low-pitched wail that seemed to emanate from the earth itself.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.