Hideous Definition

hĭdē-əs
adjective
Horrible to see, hear, etc.; very ugly or revolting; dreadful.
Webster's New World
Morally offensive; detestable.
Hideous acts of torture.
American Heritage
Causing great harm or fear; terrible.
A hideous disease.
American Heritage

Origin of Hideous

  • From Middle English hidous, from Anglo-Norman hidous, from Old French hideus, hydus (“that which inspires terror”), from earlier hisdos, from hisda (“horror, fear”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Probably from Frankish *egisda, *egisida (“terror, fright”), from Proto-Germanic *agisiþō (“horror, terror”), from Proto-Germanic *agisōną (“to frighten, terrorise”), from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *aǵʰ-, *agʰ- (“to frighten”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egidī (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic (agis, “fear, terror”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Alternative etymology cites possbile derivation from Latin hispidosus (“rugged”), from hispidus (“rough, bristly”), yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English variant of hidous from Anglo-Norman from Old French hide, hisde fear possibly of Germanic origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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