Synonyms for heathen
- adjective
- noun
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Pagan — uncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian
pagan, barbarian, uncivilized, uncivilised UK, barbarous, savage, barbaric, uncultured, philistine, uncultivated, heathenish, heathenly, heathenous, uncouth, wolfish, brutish, truculent, inhuman, uncivil, incivil rare, barbarious formal dated, uplandish dated
Other
Noun
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Uncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian.
- n. 1
A pagan; someone who is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim (other Abrahamic or monotheistic religions may or may not be included)
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- heathens → infidels, gentiles, idolaters, heathenists…
Choose the right word
Pagan is now more properly applied to rude and uncivilized idolaters, while heathen embraces all who practice idolatry.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- pagan They're doing a pagan ritual in the backyard.
- barbarian My level 9 barbarian has been killed.
- uncivilized There are still uncivilized lands.
- barbarous The slaughter of the prisoners was a barbarous act.
- irreligious The irreligious scoffed at the bishop's interpretation.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| heathen | steady | |
| pagan | rising | |
| barbarian | rising | |
| uncivilized | rising | |
| barbarous | falling | |
| irreligious | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- pagan2
- 6 letters
- ethnic2, savage2
- 7 letters
- inhuman3, gentile2, infidel3, brutish2, uncouth2, uncivil3, wolfish, incivil
- 8 letters
- barbaric3, idolater, paganish
- 9 letters
- barbarian4, barbarous3, truculent3, heathenly, uplandish
- 10 letters
- philistine3, uncultured, heathenish, heathenous, barbarious, heathenist
- 11 letters
- uncivilized4, irreligious, uncivilised
- 12 letters
- uncultivated
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (pagan2 = 2 syllables).