nefarious

adjective

ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfer-ē-əs 

: flagrantly wicked or impious : evil

nefariously adverb

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What Is the Difference Between vicious, villainous, and nefarious?

Nefarious comes from the Latin adjective nefarius and the Latin noun nefas, which means "crime." Nefas is a combination of ne- ("not") and fas, meaning "right" or "divine law."

Synonyms

• evil
• unlawful
• immoral
• sinful
• vicious
• vile
• dark
• bad
• wicked
• villainous

Choose the Right Synonym for nefarious

vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct.

vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

Examples of nefarious in a Sentence

Moreover, those starry-eyed states inclined to perceive international relations in moral terms frequently underestimate the nefarious machinations of their competitors on the world political stage. —Richard Wolin, New Republic, 4 June 2001

… I always give the same response: Just because Frank posed for pictures with every leading capo, underboss and cement contractor of the day doesn't mean that he joined them in their nefarious underworld activities. Oh, occasionally he rode along on a hit or two, but that was just one of those social obligations … —Lewis Grossberger, Time, 21 Dec. 1998

Three-tenths of a mile uphill from our mailbox on the road, that bend is so nefarious that neophytes often skidded into a snowbank or wound up fender-deep in mud there. —Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987

a nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money

the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas

Recent Examples on the Web

The nefarious treats were packaged in wrappers that were nearly identical to the authentic product, police said. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

So longtime fans may be understandably disappointed that many of these memorable undersea creatures see limited screen time, elbowed aside in favor of the nefarious ghost pirate the Flying Dutchman and his ghoulish crew. —Justin Lowe, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025

That nefarious entity is Valak, the same demon that appeared to Ed and Lorraine in The Conjuring 2, which takes place in 1977. —Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

These are just a few of the nefarious acts by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin nefarius, from nefas crime, from ne- not + fas right, divine law; perhaps akin to Greek themis law, tithenai to place — more at do

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nefarious

• aquarius
• cinereous
• gregarious
• hilarious
• malarious
• precarious
• vicarious
• carious
• scarious
• various
• multifarious

Kids Definition

nefarious

adjective

ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfar-ē-əs 

-ˈfer-

: very wicked : evil

nefariously adverb

nefariousness noun