as in barbarian
not civilized
old missionaries who mistakenly thought that they were going off to China to tame the heathen hordes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heathen
Paul Daugherty,
Cincinnati.com,
28 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
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
In the years after the Civil War, both Republicans and Democrats portrayed the Chinese arriving on the Pacific Coast as an invading horde, a heathen, unassimilable people.
—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
The New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for heathen
Adjective
The Cincinnati Bengals welcome the media heathen universe for a gab session/sitdown, linen-tablecloth lunch known in This Space as The Mock Turtle Soupfest and Weenie Roast.
—
Paul Daugherty,
Cincinnati.com,
28 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
Among Catholic Filipinos, the stereotype of the Moros as dangerous heathens lingers, and discrimination against them remains widespread.
—
Foreign Affairs,
7 Jan. 2025
In the years after the Civil War, both Republicans and Democrats portrayed the Chinese arriving on the Pacific Coast as an invading horde, a heathen, unassimilable people.
—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
The New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for heathen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heathen
Adjective
-
Language would have been a part of the divide between Roman and barbarian.
-
For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel.
Noun
-
Whatever the explanation, thousands of people, many dressed as druids and pagans, will gather at the site on Sunday to see the sun rise.
-
Among those cut was the Unitarian Universalist Association (others were atheists, pagans and Wiccans).
Noun
-
Each is a move to control more of the layer between the customer and the underlying financial primitive, whether that primitive is a card rail, a deposit account, or a stablecoin reserve.
-
What follows this admission is a piercing dissection not of the art itself, but of frameworks of looking at Black art and life that go beyond racist tropes disguised as appeals to the primitive, the spontaneous, the corporeal.
Adjective
-
Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
-
It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
Adjective
-
The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
-
Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
Adjective
-
The Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department advised anyone bitten or scratched by a bat or other wild animal to promptly clean the wound with soap and water, then contact a physician or go to the emergency room.
-
And, speaking of wild, each team had a Max Muncy playing third base and batting seventh.
Cite this Entry
“Heathen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heathen. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
