anathema

noun

ə-ˈna-thə-mə How to pronounce anathema (audio)
Definition of anathemanext
1
as in curse
a prayer that harm will come to someone uttered an anathema before driving the would-be robber from the his shop

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics is anathema to animal-rights activists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anathema Similarly, big money hasn’t been anathema to either the governing body or the tournament, with FIFA’s president, Joao Havelange, partnering in 1974 with Horst Dassler, the chief executive of Adidas, to transform the organisation commercially. — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 That is anathema to many of the visiting fans – and, to be very clear, the overwhelming majority of the American soccer fans who are in attendance as well. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 Still, by the 1830s, Elizabeth Freeman’s challenge to slavery as an anathema to liberty was a potent idea. — New York Times, 22 June 2026 Playing to the White House was clearly anathema for Warsh. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for anathema
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anathema
  1. curse
  2. enemy
  3. hate
  4. abomination
  5. antipathy
  6. abhorrence
  7. detestation
  8. phobia
Noun
  • That was a full-length movie filmed in 2004 when the Red Sox were breaking their storied curse, and included Johnny Damon and other players in cameos.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The prince, Ashitaka, encounters a forest-dwelling young woman called San on his journey and the two become friends, teaming up to help save the forest and end his curse.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • The gunplay is punchy and satisfying; Jun and their NPC companions are more agile; and the arsenal of both sci-fi weapons and ancient powers (magic in a sci-fi trench coat) gives players a richer selection of tools to neutralize enemies with.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Who could have guessed that their worst enemy would hail not from across the border but from the skies?
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of enemy
Noun
  • Days after what police say was a hate-motivated shooting outside a gay bar in Tucson, Arizona, a fuller picture of the gunman is coming to light.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When the Kirk family attorney spoke about how Charlie Kirk stood for the opposite of hate, Erika Kirk was crying and nodding along.
    — Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of hate
Noun
  • It a thematic fit, and after nearly 200 episodes, there’s no doubting this team’s ability to deliver fresh, new abominations.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • And that was before the abomination — three-parts Netflix advertising event and one-part baseball game — even happened.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of abomination
Noun
  • The other is that Republicans’ antipathy towards vote-by-mail is waning.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
  • Alexander Kazakov | Afp | Getty Images That Russia and China are seen as ideologically aligned on many geopolitical issues, with each sharing a traditional antipathy and distrust towards the West, and Washington.
    — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Definition of antipathy
Noun
  • El-Sayed and Piker have professed their abhorrence of anti-Semitism.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.
    — Michael Bloomberg, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of abhorrence
Noun
  • How Nelson is reformulated from one who feels desire to one who feels detestation (as well as shame for having desired) is the remarkable achievement of both the story and the storyteller and the system that requires it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
  • One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Definition of detestation
Noun
  • Prisoners just always have this phobia of the world moving on from them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Cage plays Roy, a gifted con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose tics, phobias and elaborate rituals have turned his immaculate home into a fortress against the world.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of phobia

Browse Nearby Words

anarchy
anathema
anathemas
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Anathema.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anathema. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on anathema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anathema

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All