odious

adjective

odi·​ous ˈō-dē-əs How to pronounce odious (audio)
: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful
an odious crime
a false and odious comparison
odiously adverb
odiousness noun

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The Origin of Odious

Odious comes from Latin odiosus; that adjective is from the word for "hatred," odium. Odium is related to the English verb annoy, and it is used in English to mean "hatred" or "disgrace."

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
Recent Examples on the Web Much of the holdings of human remains and Native cultural items were collected through practices that are now considered antiquated and even odious, including through donations by grave robbers and archaeological digs that cleared out Indigenous burial grounds. Zachary Small, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Spring has only just begun to transition to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but some of the season’s most odious and dangerous extreme weather is already running rampant. Ian Livingston, Dan Stillman and Jason Samenow, Anchorage Daily News, 6 June 2023 If the powers that be wish to preserve the odious sequel rule, treating individual characters’ existence as the litmus test, then fine. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024 In this Henry Willson saga, catch and kill has an especially sort of odious place in his career. Lauren Ames, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024 Enlarge Aurich Lawson | Getty Images Medical imagery tends to burst with gore and horror, from grisly gashes, festering flesh, to a merciless gush of other odious afflictions. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 7 July 2023 The British were appalled at American willingness to recognize, and even support, a government filled with odious German collaborators. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 The only really odious members of the party will, of course, be those termed the Young, who are almost certain to prove fast, rude, and self-assertive. Nancy Mitford, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2023 But Washington can start by engaging more with Moscow, odious as that may seem. Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2023

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.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin odiosus, from odium — see odium

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of odious was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Odious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

odious

adjective
odi·​ous ˈōd-ē-əs How to pronounce odious (audio)
: causing hatred or strong dislike : worthy of hatred
odiously adverb

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