execrable

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adjective ex·e·cra·ble \ ˈek-si-krə-bəl \

Definition of execrable

1 :deserving to be execrated :detestable

execrable crimes

2 :very bad :wretched

execrable hotel food

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execrableness

noun

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execrably

play \ˈek-si-krə-blē\ adverb

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execrable was our Word of the Day on 11/15/2014. Hear the podcast!

Examples of execrable in a Sentence

Living conditions in the slums were execrable.
her execrable singing finally brought a complaint from the neighbors

Recent Examples of execrable from the Web

Trump can and should free America from this execrable deal at the earliest opportunity.

— john r. bolton, National Review, "How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal," 28 Aug. 2017
Then there’s the execrable headline about young Muslims being ‘‘time bombs.’’ The author of the article is a guy named Raheem Kassam, who is the editor of Breitbart’s bureau in London.

— wil s. hylton, New York Times, "Down the Breitbart Hole," 16 Aug. 2017
In the soft pink dusk, as a perfect full moon rose out of the mountains, even the execrable post war concrete buildings below that so despoil the landscape here and throughout this ravishing island somehow managed to fade before nature’s majesty.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "Vogue’s Hamish Bowles on His Molto Alta Weekend in Palermo With Dolce & Gabbana," 11 July 2017
Since the Dark Knight trilogy ended, DC has made some of the world's most atrocious superhero movies in history, culminating in the execrable Batman v. Superman.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "Wonder Woman is awesome, but it’s got some major problems," 2 June 2017
Given the success of Van Wilder, no one at the company was opposed to licensing the brand, but the first projects Laikin brought in were execrable.

— benjamin wallace, VanityFair.com, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017
Given the success of Van Wilder, no one at the company was opposed to licensing the brand, but the first projects Laikin brought in were execrable.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017
Thankfully, the House's Black Caucus raised hell and walked out in protest after the Monuments Men seceded from the 21st Century by passing this execrable legislation.

— robert mann, NOLA.com, "Are Louisiana House members Monuments Men or Confederate fanboys?: Opinion," 19 May 2017
Given the success of Van Wilder, no one at the company was opposed to licensing the brand, but the first projects Laikin brought in were execrable.

— benjamin wallace, HWD, "Can Anyone Repair National Lampoon’s Devastated Brand?," 19 May 2017

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

Did You Know?

He or she who is cursed faces execrable conditions. Keep this in mind to remember that execrable is a descendant of the Latin verb exsecrari, meaning "to put under a curse." Since its earliest uses in English, beginning in the 14th century, execrable has meant "deserving or fit to be execrated," the reference being to things so abominable as to be worthy of formal denouncement (such as "execrable crimes"). But in the 19th century we lightened it up a bit, and our "indescribably bad" sense has since been applied to everything from roads ("execrable London pavement" - Sir Walter Scott) to food ("The coffee in the station house was ... execrable." - Clarence Day) to, inevitably, the weather ("the execrable weather of the past fortnight" - The (London) Evening Standard).