What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Nefarious vs Corrupt - What's the difference?

nefarious | corrupt |

As adjectives the difference between nefarious and corrupt

is that nefarious is sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics while corrupt is in a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.

As a verb corrupt is

to make ; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.

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.

    Synonyms

    * evil, iniquitous, sinister, underhanded, vile * See also

    Derived terms

    * nefariously * nefariousness

    References

    *

    corrupt

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • In a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.
    • The government here is corrupt , so we'll emigrate to escape them.
  • * Shakespeare
    • At what ease / Might corrupt' minds procure knaves as ' corrupt / To swear against you.
  • Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; in an invalid state.
    • The text of the manuscript is corrupt .
    It turned out that the program was corrupt - that's why it wouldn't open.
  • In a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.
  • * Knolles
    • Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would feed them.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "corrupt" is often applied: practice, state, country, nation, regime, city, government, person, man, politician, leader, mayor, judge, member, minister, file, database, document, woman.

    Quotations

    * , Genesis 6:11 *: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

    Synonyms

    * corrupted

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make ; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.
    • Don't you dare corrupt my son with those disgusting pictures!
  • * , Genesis 6:12
    • And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
  • To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot.
    • (Francis Bacon)
  • To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify.
    • to corrupt language, or a holy text
  • To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.
  • * Bible, Matthew vi. 19
    • Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt .

    Related terms

    * corruptible * corruption * incorruptible

    References

    * *