abominate

verb

abom·​i·​nate ə-ˈbä-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce abominate (audio)
abominated; abominating

transitive verb

formal
: to hate or loathe intensely : abhor
Above all he abominated intolerance …G. R. Elton
abominator noun
Choose the Right Synonym for abominate

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.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of abominate in a Sentence

a politician who is revered by his supporters and abominated by his enemies he abominates the sight of the park he once loved being turned into a parking lot
Recent Examples on the Web And there is nothing more deflating than watching someone who has put his foot wrong in this culture subject himself to performative self-criticism, abominating himself as a bearer of privilege. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 2 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abominate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin abōminātus, past participle of abōminārī "to avert (an event forecast by an omen) by prayer, to abhor, detest," from ab- ab- + ōminārī "to know by means of an omen, presage," verbal derivative of ōmin-, ōmen omen

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abominate was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near abominate

Cite this Entry

“Abominate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abominate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abominate

verb
abom·​i·​nate ə-ˈbäm-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce abominate (audio)
abominated; abominating
abominator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on abominate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!