abhorrent

adjective

əb-ˈhȯr-ənt How to pronounce abhorrent (audio)
Definition of abhorrentnext
1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment he considers it abhorrent the way she keeps her dogs penned up all the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern she's abhorrent of the nonsense that the tabloid media pass off as news

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 abhorrent To learn that zoos will be trafficking the sloths to other zoos and be used in breeding is abhorrent. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026 What’s striking is that Torrente is an abhorrent, fascist, Francoist, machista alcoholic yet people see him right at home in politics. — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026 His abhorrent behavior is sadly too common across the restaurant industry, from the finest dining to the humblest street stalls. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abhorrent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abhorrent
  1. disgusting
  2. contemptuous
  3. awful
  4. cruel
  5. horrible
  6. disdainful
  7. ugly
  8. malicious
Adjective
  • That’s likely to inspire either affection or immediate exhaustion, depending on your fondness for the infamously disgusting performance group.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • People tend to think of waste as trash, sewage, slag, manure and other seemingly useless or disgusting substances.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Below the surface, there is a lot of contemptuous finger-pointing about where the anti-AI energy now coursing through the political-media landscape is coming from.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Relative to the contemptuous silence of the Mike Ashley regime, there is no comparison — but even when compared to previous post-takeover administrations, Newcastle are being more communicative.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemptuous
Adjective
  • When Moore left the game after an awful hit from a USC linebacker, Raiola stepped up and looked even better.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But coming off the back of that, there was all of this legislation that was pretty awful and generally, there were a lot of homophobic attitudes, still quite extreme, even as late as the 1990s.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The offbeat, cruel cadence of the bit reminded me of classic Update Norm Macdonald.
    — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Despite the identically horrible records, these teams are in different places.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In all, the Dodgers drowned out that horrible tomahawk chop with some mighty hacks of their own, winning 3-1 while finally displaying some of the desperation that had been missing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • As Cusk has become more disdainful of fiction and more insistent on the documentary function of art, her work has become vaguer and less concrete, fading like old ink into blurred indeterminacy.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • It was delivered with sneers, an ugly, small-minded few minutes in support of the sclerotic, disdainful of dynamic change.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of disdainful
Adjective
  • Without all that, the series misses out on the ugly, earthy, sensual details that could have complicated her past blank innocence.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this season, the Seahawks coach described a dispute with Payton that got ugly enough for Seattle to threaten a lawsuit.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Strong antivirus software can help protect against malicious links, phishing sites and malware that may appear alongside these scams.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Tech companies are playing whack-a-mole around the world as their models get up to more hijinks and are used for malicious purposes.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

abhorrences
abhorrent
abhorring
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Cite this Entry

“Abhorrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abhorrent. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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