execration

noun

ˌek-sə-ˈkrā-shən How to pronounce execration (audio)
Definition of execrationnext
1
as in curse
a prayer that harm will come to someone upon discovering that someone had stolen his golf bag, he let loose a volley of execrations

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2
as in hatred
a very strong dislike a cowardly betrayal that earned him the execration of all who had remained loyal to the cause

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3
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated denounced as an abomination before God and man, the heretic would forever be an execration even amongst his own people

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of execration The Democrats’ howls of execration are perfectly understandable. — Mario Loyola, National Review, 22 Sep. 2020 Their execration of the actions of Israel's government and security forces will not bring it any faster. — Oded Naaman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for execration
  1. curse
  2. hatred
  3. enemy
  4. imprecation
  5. detestation
  6. malediction
  7. abhorrence
  8. hate
Noun
  • She and Kidman reprise their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, witches in Massachusetts who must once more confront a family curse that causes the deaths of men whom women in their family fall in love with.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Along with the town’s hard-drinking fisherman Wyck (Root), and the town hall staff of Patricia (O’Flynn), Rosemary (Dickey) and Dale (Hiller), Loftis tries to ignore a centuries-old island curse while attracting tourists to the island.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Hong Kong authorities defend the verdict Hong Kong leader John Lee said the alliance has long deliberately planted seeds of hatred against the party and the central government in society, and their acts endangered national security.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But choices like Wintour’s silence the very people hurt by ethnic hatred.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hatred
Noun
  • Blanche’s immediate predecessor, Pam Bondi, was ousted in April after failing to deliver successful prosecutions against the president’s political enemies.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than law enforcement authorities like the Coast Guard having to seize a vessel under civil seizure laws, the Department of Defense, usually through military force, can seize an enemy vessel instead.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of enemy
Noun
  • The reality is that consumers could easily reduce their carbon footprints by changing their thermostats, buying smaller cars and driving more slowly, but few seem willing to do so despite the many imprecations from climate change activists.
    — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The cabdriver—a scrawny older man—drives rapidly and erratically, cutting off other vehicles, muttering imprecations in an unfamiliar language under his breath, swerving in and out of lanes, blowing his horn to force laggard drivers to let him by.
    — Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
Definition of imprecation
Noun
  • How Nelson is reformulated from one who feels desire to one who feels detestation (as well as shame for having desired) is the remarkable achievement of both the story and the storyteller and the system that requires it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
  • One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Definition of detestation
Noun
  • Whatever the reason—gold lust, bad luck, a malediction—the Prince de Conty continues to bring ill fortune upon those in its ambit, even two hundred and seventy-eight years after its demise.
    — Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
  • What’s more, Presence imbues the song with a story centered around death, misfortune, and perhaps even malediction.
    — SPIN Contributor, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
Definition of malediction
Noun
  • But your abhorrence of the outcomes of particular elections doesn’t justify your saying, Well, the hell with that.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.
    — Michael Bloomberg, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of abhorrence
Noun
  • Online threats and hate aimed at players are unforgivable, and no upside can make up for that.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Several speakers also discussed the role of community engagement in responding to incidents of hate, encouraging residents to continue building relationships across cultural and religious lines.
    — Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hate

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execration
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Cite this Entry

“Execration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/execration. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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