Hideous means extremely ugly, unpleasant, or shocking to look at or think about. It can also describe things that are morally horrible or very upsetting.
From Old French “hideus” or “hideos,” meaning “frightful or terrible,” possibly from a Germanic root related to fear. It came into English with a strong sense of horror and disgust.
“Hideous” is a judgment word—it doesn’t just say something is ugly, it says it’s disturbing to you. We often use it for both looks (“a hideous dress”) and actions (“a hideous crime”), which shows how strongly we link beauty and morality in our language. The word exposes how quickly our brains turn discomfort into moral disgust.
‘Hideous’ has long been used in appearance-based insults, disproportionately aimed at women and girls in policing beauty standards. It has also been used to condemn nonconforming bodies and faces, reinforcing narrow ideals of attractiveness.
Avoid using ‘hideous’ to describe people’s bodies, faces, or clothing; focus criticism on actions or harmful ideas instead of appearance.
["harmful","unjust","cruel","very unpleasant","disturbing"]
When discussing beauty standards, acknowledge how women and gender-nonconforming people have been targeted by appearance-based slurs like ‘hideous’ and how they have challenged those norms through body positivity and representation.
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