EXECRATION Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

execration

noun

ˌek-sə-ˈkrā-shən

Definition of execration

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hatred

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Noun

That 2016 film introduced Johnson as demigod Maui alongside Auli’i Cravalho as the titular girl with exceptional navigation skills, with the pair teaming up to stop a curse from targeting her island.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2026
Everything the man is touching nowadays turns into gold for him and rot for the rest of us, a curse any smart person would avoid.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Definition of curse

Noun

Yet, in a surprising departure from the real-life Caroline’s historical hatred of Native Americans, this version of the character ultimately befriends White Sun and teaches Good Eagle.

— Max Gao, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
For some unapologetic antisemites like Fuentes, there’s ample evidence of blatant anti-Jewish hatred on display.

— Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of hatred

Noun

But rewrite the scene a little bit – Vader, after lopping off Luke’s hand, cradles him in his lap as the young man wakes up slowly to see the dark mask of his enemy above him.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Valerian both underestimated the enemy and overestimated Roman military strength.

— Robin Wright, New Yorker, 17 July 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

But the deeper journey, one that Salman speaks to so powerfully, is the movement from a place of active hate to a place of love.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Monday will mark eight weeks since authorities say two teens, apparently radicalized by hate online, stormed the Islamic Center of San Diego and killed three congregants, including a security guard who engaged them in a gunfight.

— Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026

Definition of hate

Browse Nearby Words

execrating

execration

execrations

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Execration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/execration. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of execration

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

accentuate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes