Humans have contrasted love with hate and good with evil for eons, putting love and good on one side and hate and evil on the other. The etymology of heinous reflects the association of hate with that which is evil or horrible. During the 14th century, English borrowed heinous from the Anglo-French haine (meaning "hate"), a noun derived from hair ("to hate"), a verb of Germanic origin that is related, like the English word hate, to the Old High German haz ("hate"). Over time English speakers came to use the word to reflect the sense of horror evoked by intense hatred.
Example Sentences
While admittedly the crimes rappers commit have often been more heinous than those committed by other entertainers, rappers seem to face more opprobrium. Though hip hop has become mainstream, much of mass media still has antiquated ideas of rap music and rappers.Vibe, May 2001The verdict … also defined rape for the first time as a crime against humanity, one of the most heinous crimes. The tribunal has previously tried cases involving rape, but defined the rape as torture. Marlise Simons, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2001It's hard enough to figure out what a defendant was thinking when he committed the heinous and bizarre act that has made him a candidate for the insanity defense. And state of mind is what the insanity defense is all about. Laura Mansnerus, New York Times Book Review, 26 Oct. 1997 These murders were especially heinous. people accused of committing heinous crimes
Recent Examples on the WebThe men at the door inform him that a woman wanted for a heinous crime has fled custody and was last spotted on the fire escape of his forbiddingly enormous apartment building. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 Shamefully, the Bills' brain trust made the decision to detach themselves from a player accused of a heinous crime only after the lawsuit became public. Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2022 One of two men charged in one of the state’s most heinous mass murders has been deemed mentally competent to stand trial for capital murder. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 1 Aug. 2022 The aggravating factors include that the murders were heinous, atrocious or cruel, and that they were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated way. Patricia Mazzei, BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2022 The aggravating factors include that the murders were heinous, atrocious or cruel, and that they were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated way.New York Times, 29 July 2022 Russian troops have perpetrated some of their most heinous atrocities while defending population centers against Ukrainian efforts to liberate them. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 Aggravating factors can include the heinous, cruel, or depraved manner of the crime and substantial planning and premeditation to cause death, among others. Gerard Albert Iii, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2022 In addition to its violence and the bystanders, the killing touched a nerve because the Marches region, where Civitanova is, has been the scene of heinous crimes against migrants. Elisabetta Povoledo, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French hainus, heinous, from haine hate, from hair to hate, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German haz hate — more at hate