different between hideous vs detestable

English

Etymology

From Middle English hidous, from Anglo-Norman hidous, from Old French hideus, hydus (“that which inspires terror”), from earlier hisdos, from Old French hisda (“horror, fear”), of uncertain and disputed origin. Probably from Proto-West Germanic *agisiþu (“horror, terror”), from Proto-West Germanic *agis?n (“to frighten, terrorise”), from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h?eg?- (“to frighten”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egid? (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic ???????????????? (agis, “fear, terror”).

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?h?d.i?.?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?h?d.i.?s/

Adjective

hideous (comparative more hideous, superlative most hideous)

1. Extremely or shockingly ugly.
   • Thomas Babington Macaulay.

   A piteous and hideous spectacle.

2. Having a very unpleasant or frightening sound
   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

     He started up, growling at first, but finding his leg broken, fell down again; and then got upon three legs, and gave the most hideous roar that ever I heard.

3. Hateful; shocking.
4. Morally offensive; shocking; detestable.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "hideous" is often applied: monster, creature, man, woman, face, thing, crime, form, death, aspect, spectacle, picture, roar, sound, manner, way, disease, mistake, shape, dress, fact, act, smile.

Synonyms

• frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, grotesque, horrid, dreadful, terrible

Derived terms

• hideosity
• hideously
• hideousness

Translations

Middle English

Adjective

hideous

1. Alternative form of hidous (“terrifying”)

English

Etymology

From Middle French détestable; surface analysis detest +? -able.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??t?st?bl?/
• Hyphenation: de?test?able

Adjective

detestable (comparative more detestable, superlative most detestable)

1. Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "detestable" is often applied: crime, thing, practices, act, character, nature, person, conduct, villain, behavior.

Derived terms

• detestableness

Related terms

Translations

See also

• hateful
• abominable
• loathsome
• horrid

Anagrams

• seatbelted

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin d?test?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /detes?table/, [d?e.t?es?t?a.??le]

Adjective

detestable (plural detestables)

1. detestable