as in barbarian
not civilized
old missionaries who mistakenly thought that they were going off to China to tame the heathen hordes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pagan
a person who does not worship the God of the Bible
a study of the beliefs and practices of ancient heathens
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in primitive
an uncivilized person
European colonizers, who considered the New World peoples to be heathens, forced them to conform to European ways
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of heathen
Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 30 May 2019
Each essay will identify a contemporary issue, discuss it through the lens of heathen myths, and suggest a solution based on heathen ideals.
—Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2017
Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2021
In addition, both leaders rely on sorcerers – in the case of Pharaoh, the chartumim (magicians); in the case of Balak, the heathen prophet Balaam – to achieve their horrific goal.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for heathen 
Adjective
Some of my brethren and sis-tren (sis-tren?) in the heathen media tribe get all riled up if a player or coach won’t speak to them.
—Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, 30 May 2019
Each essay will identify a contemporary issue, discuss it through the lens of heathen myths, and suggest a solution based on heathen ideals.
—Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2017
Noun
The war against the U.S.S.R. lasted nearly a decade, during which the United States and Saudi Arabia funded a campaign to frame the conflict as one between Islam and the heathen communists.
—Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2021
In addition, both leaders rely on sorcerers – in the case of Pharaoh, the chartumim (magicians); in the case of Balak, the heathen prophet Balaam – to achieve their horrific goal.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, sun-sentinel.com, 21 June 2021
See all Example Sentences for heathen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heathen
Adjective
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Steve muses, as the clip cuts to barbarian humanoid pigs attacking a city.Greg Evans, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
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Yet the real struggle between red and blue bears little resemblance to the flamboyant melodrama narrated by partisans, in which each side fights to defend humanity against a barbarian horde.Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 19 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Church officials decided to recognize Dec. 25 as his birthday, probably to coincide with the date of pagan festivals in an attempt to get pagans to accept Christianity as the official religion.Atlanta Life, ajc, 10 Nov. 2017
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While plague stalks the land, paranoid peasants swap cautionary folk tales about evil spirits, pagans, Jews and other outsiders.Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2017
Noun
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Burlington Antique Show Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture at this monthly outdoor antique market.Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2024
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It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Less than one day into 2025, the superstar has already punched in with one of her characteristic comebacks, shutting down a troll who demanded new music and called her a rude name on Instagram Wednesday (Jan. 1).Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2 Jan. 2025
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Your relative needs to stop running roughshod over you or risk being thought rude.R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Created by claymation animator Nick Park, Wallace & Gromit is a series of shorts and feature films which sees the naive inventor and his loyal dog embark on wild and whimsical adventures, ranging from science fiction to murder mystery, usually with a touch of horror.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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The scrappy theatrical love letter to this wild caper has been getting raves on the West End for two years.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near heathen
Cite this Entry
“Heathen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heathen. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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