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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

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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 His alliance with the far-right of American politics is anathema to the over 70% of Jewish Americans who vote Democratic. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • The sequel takes place 25 years after the original 1998 cult classic movie, as the sisters try to break their family curse along with Sally’s daughters Kylie (Joey King) and Antonio (Maisie Williams).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Sally and Gillian come from a long line of witches and have lived in a resplendent Massachusetts home with their aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest) ever since a curse struck down their father and led to their mother’s suicide.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • They can be seen as the external expression of an aspect of America our true-believing enemies have learned to hate and fear.
    — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Heath Ledger’s Joker is an enemy who doesn’t play by the rules, attacking the city with no clear political goal beyond creating panic and chaos.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of enemy
Noun
  • The trend matches an increase in hate incidents documented by the Spanish government.
    — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Those two truths, the extraordinary power of solidarity, and the danger of allowing fear to become hate, have shaped my North Star throughout my life.
    — Mark Treyger, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of hate
Noun
  • What are the implications when much of humanity witnesses the same pyrotechnic abomination at the same time?
    — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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
  • What caught him by surprise was the conversation around fat-phobia that accompanied the film’s release.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Prisoners just always have this phobia of the world moving on from them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of phobia

Browse Nearby Words

anarchy
anathema
anathemas
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Cite this Entry

“Anathema.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anathema. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on anathema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anathema

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