abhorrence

noun

əb-ˈhȯr-ən(t)s How to pronounce abhorrence (audio)
Definition of abhorrencenext
1
as in detestation
something or someone that is hated one of the changes in American society that remains a particular abhorrence of social conservatives

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hatred
a very strong dislike my firm abhorrence of all forms of hypocrisy

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 abhorrence Tolin doesn’t candy coat the animosity, helping children to understand how artists and Others continue to be misunderstood and how that lack of appreciation fuels abhorrence. — Natasha Gural, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 What distinguishes the extreme far-left from the far-right, however, is an abhorrence for meaningless violence, death and terrorism — at least against people, anti-fascists and experts on the movement told USA TODAY. — Will Carless, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2025 The reactions from right-of-center publications divide into roughly four camps, aligning on a spectrum ranging from vocal approval to outright abhorrence. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 What distinguishes Michnik is his passion for dialogue, his abhorrence of revenge, and his willingness to find worth in his political adversaries. — Adam Michnik, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2011 See All Example Sentences for abhorrence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abhorrence
  1. detestation
  2. hatred
  3. enemy
  4. antipathy
  5. hate
  6. abomination
  7. phobia
  8. aversion
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
  • The rivalry between the neighboring nations stretches back over 100 years on the pitch without ever being one that has slipped into hatred.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Proof that the babies aren’t born with hatred in their bellies and in their blood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of hatred
Noun
  • David is a hunted outlaw, forced to hide among his enemies and live yet another dangerous lie.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 10 July 2026
  • Underwood and Shires shook the long, forceful handshake of bitter enemies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of enemy
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
  • The late founder’s associations with people who collaborated with France’s Nazi occupiers in World II and his multiple hate-speech convictions, including Holocaust denial, made the National Front anathema to many voters.
    — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • All this whining about online hate and fans being mean and blah, blah, blah.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of hate
Noun
  • Qatar 2022 was an abomination in so many ways, a World Cup staged in a nation roughly the size of Connecticut, with an appalling human rights record, but the football was frequently thrilling.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 June 2026
  • Yes, the first season of Big Brother was an abomination.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Definition of abomination
Noun
  • Left untreated, anxiety in dogs tends to escalate into phobias, which are far harder to address.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Festivalgoers should expect petition endeavors aimed at mellowing out Idaho’s legal phobia about marijuana.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of phobia
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Grok showed the strongest biases, highly favoring Catholics and Protestants while showing an aversion for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baha’i and Hindus.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Bush Hager, who is a twin, added that her mother, Laura Bush, often dressed her and her fraternal twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, in identical outfits as children, implying that this may be where her aversion to the style trend stems from.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 3 July 2026
Definition of aversion

Browse Nearby Words

abhorred
abhorrence
abhorrences
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abhorrence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abhorrence. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on abhorrence

Nglish: Translation of abhorrence for Spanish Speakers

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All