Nefarious vs Abominable - What's the difference?
nefarious | abominable | Synonyms |
Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.
* 1828 , , The Red Rover , ch. 2:
* 1877 , , The Life of Cicero , ch. 9:
* 1921 , , The Indiscretions of Archie , ch. 26:
* 2009 Oct. 14, Monica Davey, "
Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.
* But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable , and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. — Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
(obsolete) Excessive, large (used as an intensifier).
* (and other bibliographic particulars) (George Perkins Marsh)
Very bad or inferior.
Disagreeable or unpleasant.
As adjectives the difference between nefarious and abominable
is that nefarious is sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics while abominable is worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.nefarious
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- "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."
- 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."
- 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.
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.Synonyms
* evil, iniquitous, sinister, underhanded, vile * See alsoDerived terms
* nefariously * nefariousnessReferences
*abominable
English
Alternative forms
* (obsolete) abhominableAdjective
(en adjective)- Note:''''' (Juliana Berners) ... informs us that in her time (15th century), "' abomynable syght of monkes" was elegant English for "a large company of friars".