Abetted vs Nefarious - What's the difference?

abetted | nefarious |

As a verb abetted

is (abet).

As an adjective nefarious is

sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.

abetted

English

Verb

(head)

(abet)

abet

English

Verb

(abett)

(obsolete) To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.

To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.

* 1823 , Ringan Gilhaize, The covenanters, by the author of Annals of the parish :

Those who would exalt themselves by abetting the strength of the Godless, and the wrength of the oppressors.

(archaic) To support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid any good cause, opinion, or action; to maintain.

* 1835 , Jeremy Taylor, George Rust, The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor :

Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted .

(obsolete) To back up one's forecast of a doubtful issue, by staking money, etc., to bet.

Quotations

* (English Citations of "abet")

Synonyms

* (to instigate or encourage by aid or countenance) incite, instigate, set on, egg on, foment, advocate, countenance, encourage, second, uphold, aid, assist, support, sustain, back, connive at.

Derived terms

* aid and abet * abetment * abettal * abetter, abettor

Noun

(en noun)

(obsolete) Fraud or cunning.

(obsolete) An act of abetting; of helping; of giving aid.

Anagrams

* * *

References

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nefarious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)

Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.

* 1828 , , The Red Rover , ch. 2:

"If the vessel be no fair-trading slaver, nor a common cruiser of his Majesty, it is as tangible as the best man's reasoning, that she may be neither more nor less than the ship of that nefarious pirate the Red Rover."

* 1877 , , The Life of Cicero , ch. 9:

Mommsen . . . declares that Catiline in particular was "one of the most nefarious' men in that ' nefarious age. His villanies belong to the criminal records, not to history."

* 1921 , , The Indiscretions of Archie , ch. 26:

The fact that the room was still in darkness made it obvious that something nefarious was afoot. Plainly there was dirty work in preparation at the cross-roads.

* 2009 Oct. 14, Monica Davey, " Fact Checker Finds Falsehoods in Remarks," New York Times (retrieved 12 May 2014):

“I try to let everyone back here in Minnesota know exactly the nefarious activities that are taking place in Washington.”

Usage notes

* Commonly used in contexts involving villainous plans, conspiracies, or actions, as in: :* 1909 , , The Lady of the Shroud , book 7: ::: The whole nefarious scheme was one of the "put-up jobs" which are part of the dirty work of a certain order of statecraft.