heathen

/ˈhiðən/
adjective
  1. Relating to people who are not part of a major world religion, or to their customs.
    • The explorers encountered heathen rituals that they did not understand.
    • Heathen practices often involved offerings to gods of nature.
    • The museum displayed artifacts from heathen cultures of northern Europe.
  2. Informal: uncivilized or lacking proper manners.
    • My parents think staying up all night playing video games is a heathen habit.
    • Eating with your hands at a formal dinner is considered heathen behavior.
    • They called his loud music heathen noise and asked him to turn it down.
Antonyms
noun
  1. A person who does not belong to a widely recognized religion, especially one that is not Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.
    • The old book described the local tribes as heathens because they worshipped nature spirits.
    • In ancient times, missionaries traveled to distant lands to convert heathens.
    • Some people use the word heathen to mean someone who has no religious beliefs at all.
  2. An insulting term for someone who is considered uncivilized or lacking in moral values.
    • My grandfather jokingly called us heathens when we forgot to say please and thank you.
    • The villain in the story was portrayed as a cruel heathen who respected no laws.
    • She laughed and said her messy room made her feel like a total heathen.
Synonyms
Antonyms
What does "heathen" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean