abhor

verb ab·hor \ əb-ˈhȯr , ab- \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

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Examples: abhor in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Horror in abhor

Definition of abhor

abhorred; abhorring

transitive verb

: to regard with extreme repugnance : to feel hatred or loathing for : loathe

abhorred violence

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abhorrer

play \-ˈhȯr-ər\ noun

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Examples of abhor in a Sentence

We believe we know that Americans abhor extremes and mistrust ideology. —David Frum, Atlantic, March 1995
I abhor latter-day, modishly camp take-offs of my cherished boyhood heroes and heroines (Little Orphan Annie, Wonder Woman, Invisible Scarlet O'Neil). —Mordecai Richler, New York Times Book Review, 3 May 1987
He abhorred grandiosity. When he came to New York to revise his manuscripts and galley proofs, he would hole up in a little cubicle on the attic floor of the old 52nd Street mansion that went by the name of Random House. —Norman Cousins, Saturday Review, April 1981
abhors the way people leave their trash at the picnic sites in the park

Recent Examples of abhor from the Web

Like nature, the UK celebrity-industrial complex abhors a vacuum.

— shelby grad, latimes.com, "Essential California: The three finalists for LAPD chief," 18 May 2018
Jews can care about Israel, these organizations say, while still abhorring many of its policies.

— zack beauchamp, Vox, "I’m an American Jew who abhors Israel’s violence. I still can’t boycott Israel.," 15 May 2018
Life-writing abhors a vacuum, and experts have indulged in all manner of speculation, generally mirroring their own approaches to the world, about how Bach must have understood himself and his works.

— michael marissen, New York Times, "Bach Was Far More Religious Than You Might Think," 30 Mar. 2018
Myself and others who engage in dominant and submissive power play in the bedroom renounce and abhor anything like Schneiderman’s alleged behavior.

— jessica wakeman, Glamour, "Don't Use My Kink as a Cover for Your Abuse," 9 May 2018
The Ravens abhor cutting draft picks in their first year, so Scott, a fourth-rounder, and Lasley, a fifth-rounder, will have to play their way off the team.

— jeff zrebiec, baltimoresun.com, "Ravens' makeover at wide receiver likely complete, but tough decisions await," 1 May 2018
The plans were lost — or perhaps discarded: Queen Charlotte was known to abhor the scent of musk, the very perfume the Ladies lavished on their linens and all correspondence sent from Plas Newydd.

— Longreads, "The Ladies Who Were Famous for Wanting to Be Left Alone," 17 Apr. 2018
Investors abhor uncertainty and tend to sell stocks in the months leading up to an election when the outcome is unknown.

— erin arvedlund, Philly.com, "Vanguard customer service issues get more attention," 2 Apr. 2018
This kind of scrutiny, long abhorred by the tech industry, should now be welcomed by our society.

— hemant taneja, Fortune, "Commentary: It’s Time for Washington to Take on the Tech Monopolies," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abhor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Horror in abhor

Abhor means “to loathe” or “to hate,” and while loathe and hate have roots in Old English, abhor derives from Latin. The roots of abhor can give us a deeper understanding of both the strength of the dislike expressed by the word and its relationship to other words in English. It came from the Latin word abhorrēre, which meant “to recoil from” or “to be repugnant to,” and was formed by combining ab-, meaning “from” and horrēre, meaning “to bristle,” “to tremble,” or “to shudder.” This word for trembling or shuddering in reaction to something scary or awful is related to the word that names of the cause of those reactions—the Latin word horror, which was later borrowed into English. The -hor of abhor is also the hor- of horror.

Origin and Etymology of abhor

Middle English abhorren, borrowed from Latin abhorrēre, from ab- ab- + horrēre "to bristle, shiver, shudder" — more at ¹horror

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

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abhor Synonyms

Phrases

have it in for;

Synonym Discussion of abhor

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for. hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.