abhorrence

noun

ab·hor·rence | \ əb-ˈhȯr-ən(t)s,

-ˈhär-\

Definition of abhorrence

1a : the act or state of abhorring or despising something or someone a crime regarded with abhorrence

b : a feeling of strong repugnance or disgust : loathing an abhorrence of war

2 : something regarded as repugnant or disgusting Slavery is an abhorrence.

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about abhorrence

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of abhorrence in a Sentence

one of the changes in American society that remains a particular abhorrence of social conservatives my firm abhorrence of all forms of hypocrisy

Recent Examples on the Web

What is Beaux-Arts but the abhorrence of undecorated surfaces, right? — Douglas Brenner, House Beautiful, "Designer Annie Brahler on Decorating a Landmark Victorian," 1 Apr. 2012 The newspapers have issued special editions with black borders, expressing abhorrence of the crime. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "June 29, 1914: Student assassinates Austrian heir," 29 June 2018 Because of their disorder, the subjects seem paralyzed by a fascination with and abhorrence of their sheer physicality. — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, "An unflinching look at ‘The Pain of Others’," 28 June 2018 Even before Monday's passage, commissioner Rob Manfred had acknowledged a softening of baseball's hardline abhorrence of gambling. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Major League Baseball re-examining its stance on gambling," 14 May 2018 For all their skepticism of Trump, many Europeans have been are brought together by an unequivocal abhorrence of the use of chemical weapons in war, since they were first used on a massive scale in World War I in Europe a century ago. — Washington Post, "European allies France, UK gamble, join Trump against Syria," 14 Apr. 2018 Morell was a career CIA officer, imbued with the agency’s trademark abhorrence of anyone who leaks secrets. — Fred Kaplan, Slate Magazine, "The Chelsea Manning and Michelle Jones debacles reveal the university’s poor judgment.," 15 Sep. 2017 New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is well known for a number of things: Being very good at coaching football, his surly demeanor, his abhorrence of sleeves. — Luke O'neil, Esquire, "Bill Belichick's Off-Season Look Is Basically Breitbart in Margaritaville," 14 July 2017 Political analyst Yekaterina Shulman said on Dozhd television that the strong participation by the young reflected their anger about the lack of career prospects in a society tainted by corruption and their abhorrence of state propaganda. — Nataliya Vasilyeva, The Denver Post, "Russian protest leader Alexei Navalny gets 15 days in jail," 27 Mar. 2017

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