abhorrent

adjective

ab·hor·rent | \ əb-ˈhȯr-ənt

, -ˈhär-\

Definition of abhorrent

1 : causing or deserving strong dislike or hatred : being so repugnant as to stir up positive antagonism acts abhorrent to every right-minded person

2 : not agreeable : contrary a notion abhorrent to their philosophy

3a : feeling or showing strong dislike or hatred

b archaic : strongly opposed

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Examples of abhorrent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And governments routinely make trade-offs like prizing free speech, knowing that much of that speech will be abhorrent and even dangerous, recognizing that the gains of open expression are ultimately worth it. — Ezra Klein, Vox, "The controversy over Mark Zuckerberg’s comments on Holocaust denial, explained," 20 July 2018 Their even warmer embrace of Comey, McCabe and a politicized FBI is a more abhorrent choice. — Gary Abernathy, Anchorage Daily News, "The D.C. bubble’s credulous embrace of McCabe is embarrassing," 21 Mar. 2018 That a cardinal would prey on seminarians is abhorrent. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: A Letter to Pope Francis," 31 Aug. 2018 This individual’s behavior is abhorrent and runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. — Avalon R. Zoppo, Philly.com, "Boy Scout leader in Camden County arrested for possessing child porn," 2 July 2018 The Supreme Court has repeatedly interpreted the Constitution in ways that any reasonable person would now agree were abhorrent. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Why John McCain opposes Gina Haspel leading the CIA — and why it matters," 10 May 2018 For the prigs, the mania for FAANG stocks is as abhorrent as a split infinitive. — The Economist, "Most stockmarket returns come from a tiny fraction of shares," 23 June 2018 Soon enough the conversation turns from Dolores’ abhorrent, murderous behavior to a question of whether Maeve should die to protect the rest of the robots. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "How Women Powered Westworld Season 2," 24 June 2018 His regime’s abhorrent treatment of its own people is largely forgotten. — The Economist, "Dealing with North Korea, Trump puts showmanship first," 14 June 2018

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