Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- hateful; odious; abominable; totally reprehensible: a heinous offense.
adjective
- evil; atrocious
late 14c., from Old French hainos “inconvenient, awkward; hateful, unpleasant; odious” (Modern French haineux), from haine “hatred,” from hair “to hate,” from Frankish *hatjan (cf. Old Saxon haton, Old English hatian “to hate;” see hate (v.)). Related: Heinously; heinousness.