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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of execration
Zweig is characteristically perceptive on the subject: Obviously, a week after Hitler had come to power the idea of monstrous events such as the burning and public execration of books, to become fact a few months later, was still beyond the comprehension of broad-minded people.
—
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
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
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
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
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For Ukraine, the war has been a curse – a curse to survive and adapt long enough to spare Europe’s borders from Russia’s forces and absolve its allies from springing into greater action.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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Indeed, various curses and slurs could be heard shouted from the audience at London's Royal Festival Hall, even during some segments broadcast to audiences in England and abroad.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Most Iranians regard these forces with fear and hatred.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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Following her father’s example, Stella learns to overcome her fear and show courage in the face of hatred and injustice.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With a range of around 250 miles, the AWACS can identify and track enemy aircraft and ships and monitor detailed battlefield information of US forces.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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It is governed by a brutal regime that oppresses its people and is an enemy to the United States.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.—
Erin Doherty,
Axios,
14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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
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What’s more, Presence imbues the song with a story centered around death, misfortune, and perhaps even malediction.—
SPIN Contributor,
SPIN,
11 Mar. 2024
Noun
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These findings echo a broader pattern political scientists call affective polarization: the replacement of disagreement with abhorrence.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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Council Speaker Julie Menin’s legislative package is a response to both the incident, and to the broader trends of rising hate across the city.—
Joseph Potasnik,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Our world is filled with so much frustration and hate.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Execration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/execration. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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