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Abhorrent vs Heinous - What's the difference?

abhorrent | heinous |

As adjectives the difference between abhorrent and heinous

is that abhorrent is inconsistent with; far removed from; strongly opposed to, as, abhorrent thoughts while heinous is totally reprehensible.

abhorrent

English

(Webster 1913)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (archaic) Inconsistent with; far removed from; strongly opposed to, as, abhorrent thoughts.
  • *
  • Contrary to; discordant.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1827, author=, title=The History of the Decline And Fall of the Roman Empire
  • , passage=This legal, and, as it should seem, injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to out stricter principles, was received with a very faint murmur, ... , url=http://books.google.com/books?id=rwoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Injudicious%20profanation%2C%20so%20abhorrent%20to%20our%20stricter%20principles.%22&pg=PA82
  • v=onepage&f=false}}
  • *
  • Abhorring; detesting; having or showing abhorrence; loathing.
  • Detestable or repugnant.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which abhorrent is often applied: behavior, act, crime, practice, thing. * (opposed) abhorrent'' is typically folled by ''from . * (contrary) abhorrent'' is followed by ''to .

    References

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    heinous

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Totally reprehensible.
  • I hope they catch the person responsible for that heinous crime.
    The perpetrators of this heinous act must be brought to justice.
    The government denounced the attack as the most heinous of the last decade.
    Political Leaders from around the world have condemned these heinous acts.
    In our public services sorry seems to be the most heinous word.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "heinous" is often applied: crime, act, sin, murder, offence.

    Synonyms

    * (totally reprehensible) abominable, horrible, odious