hideous

/ˈhɪd.i.əs/

//ˈhɪd.i.əs// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"hideous" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hideous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,042 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#16,042
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Extremely or shockingly ugly.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hideous vs hides
71% similar
hideous vs hideout
86% similar
hideous vs Hideo
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hideous
PropertyValue
Headwordhideous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈhɪd.i.əs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,042
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hideous” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). hideous lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hideous is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɪd.i.əs/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,042 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hideous, with forms such as "hdieous", "hhideous", and "hiddeous". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "hides", "hideout", "Hideo", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 (“h… The correct English form is hideous, spelled H-I-D-E-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extremely or shockingly ugly.
  2. 2
    Having a very unpleasant or frightening sound.
  3. 3
    Hateful; shocking.
  4. 4
    Morally offensive; shocking; detestable.

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 *agisōn (“to frighten, terrorise”), from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to frighten”). Cognate with Old High German egisa, egidī (“horror”), Old English egesa (“fear, dread”), Gothic 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 (agis, “fear, terror”). Alternative etymology cites possible derivation from Latin hispidosus (“rugged”), from hispidus (“rough, bristly”), yet the semantic evolution is less plausible.

Synonyms

frightfulghastlygrimgrislygrotesquehorriddreadfulterrible

This word in other languages

horrible(Español)hideux(Français)scheußlich(Deutsch)horrendo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hdieous,hhideous,hiddeous,hideosu,hideouss,hideuos,hidoeus,hiedous,ihdeous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hideous - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hdieous2hhideous1hiddeous1hideosu2hideouss1hideuos2hidoeus2hiedous2
Edit distance from "hideous"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hideous"?
"hideous" is spelled H-I-D-E-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɪd.i.əs/.
What does "hideous" mean?
As an adjective, "hideous" means: Extremely or shockingly ugly.
What words are commonly confused with "hideous"?
"hideous" is commonly confused with "hides", "hideout", "Hideo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hideous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hideous" is /ˈhɪd.i.əs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hideous"?
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 *a... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “hideous”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-I-D-E-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɪd.i.əs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hides” - see the side-by-side comparison. hideous vs hides
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list