hideous

Where does the word "hideous" come from? It comes from Latin hispidus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Hideous’s story begins in Latin: hispidus meant “shaggy, bristly.” A possible Latin source, though some trace it to a Germanic root. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as hisdos. From 'hisde', horror. It reached English by 1300s as hideous. Shifted from frightening to visually ugly. Today, hideous means extremely ugly.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient hispidus "shaggy, bristly", a possible Latin source, though some trace it to a Germanic root.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval hisdos "frightful", from 'hisde', horror.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s hideous "terrifying", shifted from frightening to visually ugly.