Meanings
heathen1
comparative heathener · comparative more heathen · superlative heathenest · superlative most heathen
- Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan.
War of holy principles I'm seeking God's help in your destruction Slit the throat of heathen man And let his blood dilute the water, bury your dead
2006, Jeff Hanneman, “Jihad”, Tom Araya (lyrics), performed by SlayerSynonyms: heathenish, heathenly, heathenous, pagan · Antonyms: Christian, Muslim, Jewish
- broadlyUncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian.
Synonyms: barbarous, pagan, uncultivated, animalistic, barbarian, barbaric, barbarious, barbarous
plural heathens
- A pagan; someone who is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim (other Abrahamic or monotheistic religions may or may not be included)
V. Knox If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens.
2 more examples
On the heathens coming alongside the vessel, Otnit assumes the character of a merchant, and is admitted to enter the port.
1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 211On hearing his cries two heathen who were hunting on the lagoon ran up, and they were bold enough to try to avenge the injury, making ready to shoot arrows at the soldiers, who fired two gunshots just to frighten them […]
1930, H. E. Bolton, Anza's California expeditions, volume 1, page 403Synonyms: infidel
- broadlyAn uncultured or uncivilized person, philistine.
Heathen2
plural Heathens
- An adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry.
[…] these examples, and others I have come across, illustrate most strikingly how Heathens follow a reactionary politics carefully constructed by politicians and pundits to help whites feel like victims, thereby making them useful political tools.
2013, Jennifer Snook, “Reconsidering Heathenry: The Construction of an Ethnic Folkway as Religio-ethnic Identity”, in Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, volume 16, number 3, page 61
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveNot adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan.
adjectiveUncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian.
nounA pagan; someone who is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim (other Abrahamic or monotheistic religions may or may not be included)
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot acknowledging the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
heathen · adjective, noun
- Proto-Germanic*haiþīnaz“heathen, pagan”
- Proto-West Germanic*haiþin
- Old Englishhǣþen
- Middle Englishhethen
- Englishheathen
From Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣþen, from Proto-West Germanic *haiþin, from Proto-Germanic *haiþīnaz (“heathen, pagan”, adjective), equivalent to heath (“heathland”) + -en. Cognate with West Frisian heiden, Dutch heiden, Middle High German heiden, German Heiden, German Heide, Swedish heden, Danish hedensk (from heden + -sk), Icelandic heiðinn. See also Proto-Germanic *haiduz, Old Norse heiðr (honour, bright, moor), Icelandic heiður (honour).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans heidens, ongelowig
- heidensnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- ongelowignot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbaarssavage
- heidenperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- heideneperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ongelowigeperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ongelowigesperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbaaruncultured or uncivilized person
- barbareuncultured or uncivilized person
- heidenadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
- heideneadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Arabic وَثَنِيّ, وَثَنِيّ
- وَثَنِيّ (waṯaniyy)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- وَثَنِيّ (waṯaniyy)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- وَثَنِيَّة (waṯaniyya)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- مُشْرِك (mušrik)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Bulgarian ези́чески, ва́рварски
- ези́чески (ezíčeski)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- ва́рварски (várvarski)savage
- дива́шки (diváški)savage
- ези́чник (ezíčnik)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ези́чничка (ezíčnička)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ези́чница (ezíčnica)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- неве́жа (nevéža)uncultured or uncivilized person
Chinese Mandarin 異教的 /异教的, 異教徒 /异教徒
- 異教的 /异教的 (yìjiào de)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- 異教徒 /异教徒 (yìjiàotú)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Czech pohanský, pohan
- pohanskýnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- pohanperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- pohankaperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Danish hedensk, hedensk
- hedensknot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- hedensksavage
- barbarisksavage
- hedningperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbaruncultured or uncivilized person
- hedenskpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- hedningadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Dutch heidens, ongelovig
- heidensnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- ongelovignot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbaarssavage
- heidenssavage
- onbeschaafdsavage
- heidenperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ongelovigeperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbaaruncultured or uncivilized person
- filistijnuncultured or uncivilized person
- heidenspertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- heidenadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Finnish pakanallinen, pakanallinen
- pakanallinennot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- pakanallinensavage
- pakanaperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- pakanauncultured or uncivilized person
- pakanallinenpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- pakanaadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
French païen, barbare
- païennot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbaresavage
- païenperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- païenneperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbareuncultured or uncivilized person
- sauvageuncultured or uncivilized person
German heidnisch, barbarisch
- heidnischnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbarischsavage
- unzivilisiertsavage
- Heideperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- Heidinperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- Barbaruncultured or uncivilized person
- Wilderuncultured or uncivilized person
- Unzivilisierteruncultured or uncivilized person
- heidnischpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- Heideadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
- Heidinadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Greek αλλόθρησκος, ειδωλολάτρης
- αλλόθρησκος (allóthriskos)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- ειδωλολάτρης (eidololátris)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- ακαλλιέργητος (akalliérgitos)uncultured or uncivilized person
- ειδωλολάτρης (eidololátris)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
- ειδωλολάτρισσα (eidololátrissa)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Hindi बुतपरस्त
- बुतपरस्त (butparast)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Hungarian pogány, barbár
- pogánynot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbársavage
- pogányperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbáruncultured or uncivilized person
Icelandic heiðinn, heiðinn
- heiðinnnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- heiðinnsavage
- heiðingiperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- heiðinnpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- heiðingiadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Irish págánta, págánach
- págántanot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- págánachnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- págánachperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- págánperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Italian pagano, pagano
- paganonot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- paganosavage
- paganoperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- paganaperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Japanese 異教徒
- 異教徒 (ikyōto)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Korean 이교도
- 이교도 (igyodo)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Latin gentilis
- gentilisnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
Norwegian Bokmål hedensk, hedning
- hedensknot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- hedningperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- hedningadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Polish pogański, bałwański
- pogańskinot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- bałwańskinot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- barbarzyńskisavage
- poganinperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- pogankaperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbarzyńcauncultured or uncivilized person
- związany z rodzimowierstwem germańskimpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- rodzimowierca germańskiadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Portuguese pagão, pagão
- pagãonot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- pagãoperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- pagãperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- bárbarouncultured or uncivilized person
- pagãopertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
Romanian păgân, păgân
- păgânnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- păgânperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- păgânăperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Russian язы́ческий, ди́кий
- язы́ческий (jazýčeskij)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- ди́кий (díkij)savage
- язы́чник (jazýčnik)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- язы́чница (jazýčnica)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- дика́рь (dikárʹ)uncultured or uncivilized person
- язы́чник (jazýčnik)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
- язы́чница (jazýčnica)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
- родновер (rodnover)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Slovak pohanský, pohan
- pohanskýnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- pohanperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- pohankaperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Spanish pagano, pagano
- paganopertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- paganoadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Swedish hednisk, hedning
- hednisknot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- hedningperson who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- barbaruncultured or uncivilized person
- vildeuncultured or uncivilized person
- hedniskpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- hedenpertaining or adhering to the faith of Heathenry
- hedningadherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Turkish putperest, pagan
- putperestnot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- pagannot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- müşriknot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
Ukrainian язи́чницький, язи́чник
- язи́чницький (jazýčnycʹkyj)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- язи́чник (jazýčnyk)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- язи́чниця (jazýčnycja)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Urdu بُت پَرَسْت
- بُت پَرَسْت (but parast)person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
Vietnamese ngoại đạo
- ngoại đạonot adhering to an Abrahamic religion
Yiddish היידניש, הייד
- היידניש (heydnish)not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
- הייד (heyd)adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry
Cite this entry
heathen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heathen
“heathen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heathen. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heathen,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heathen.
Source: heathen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.