: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful
an odious crime
a false and odious comparison
odiously
adverb
odiousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of odious in a Sentence
Two of them—his mother Livia and his odious sister Janice—were at heart killers like himself.
—
Geoffrey O'Brien, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007
He learned an important lesson some years ago in Panama. Manuel Antonio Noriega was too odious even for Carter, who shunned the Panamanian strongman in the run-up to the 1989 ballot there.
—Jim Wooten, New York Times Magazine, 29 Jan 1995
But, alas, I know the real me, the me with the soft, round stomach and the love handles, odious first cousins to the paunch.
—Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 1990
It was one of the most odious crimes of recent history.
an odious and unforgivable insult
Geoffrey O'Brien, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007
He learned an important lesson some years ago in Panama. Manuel Antonio Noriega was too odious even for Carter, who shunned the Panamanian strongman in the run-up to the 1989 ballot there.
—Jim Wooten, New York Times Magazine, 29 Jan 1995
But, alas, I know the real me, the me with the soft, round stomach and the love handles, odious first cousins to the paunch.
—Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 1990
It was one of the most odious crimes of recent history.
an odious and unforgivable insult
Recent Examples on the Web
Name three Americans so odious that they should be set adrift in a dinghy in the Arctic Circle with enough food and water to only last them 24 hours.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 15 May 2024
Why the reconsideration of Congressional support for the BLM’s rule, and what is so odious about the rule itself?
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 5 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for odious 
Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 15 May 2024
Why the reconsideration of Congressional support for the BLM’s rule, and what is so odious about the rule itself?
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 5 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for odious
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'odious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near odious
Cite this Entry
“Odious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odious. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
odious
adjective
odi·ous
ˈōd-ē-əs 
: causing hatred or strong dislike : worthy of hatred
odiously
adverb
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