Heinesque

/heɪnˈɛsk/ adjective

Definition

Resembling or characteristic of something heinous; shocking, extremely wicked, or repugnant in quality.

Etymology

Formed from 'heinous' (from Old French 'haineus' meaning hateful) plus the suffix '-esque' (from French, meaning 'in the manner of'), creating an artistic or stylistic descriptor of wickedness.

Kelly Says

While 'heinous' is overused in crime reports, 'heinesque' sounds like art criticism—it's the difference between calling a crime heinous and calling a gothic painting's atmosphere heinesque and unsettling.

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