as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective nefarious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of nefarious are corrupt, degenerate, iniquitous, vicious, and villainous. While all these words mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct," nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

Where would corrupt be a reasonable alternative to nefarious?

While in some cases nearly identical to nefarious, corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

When could degenerate be used to replace nefarious?

In some situations, the words degenerate and nefarious are roughly equivalent. However, degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

When can iniquitous be used instead of nefarious?

The words iniquitous and nefarious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

When might vicious be a better fit than nefarious?

The meanings of vicious and nefarious largely overlap; however, vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

When would villainous be a good substitute for nefarious?

While the synonyms villainous and nefarious are close in meaning, villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

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 nefarious Their investigation leads them to Dayal (Soubin Shahir) and Simon (Nagarjuna), members of a crime syndicate using one of Rajasekar's inventions — a chair-like contraption with the ability to cremate bodies — for their own nefarious purposes. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025 Some conspiracy theorists have suggested Epstein’s death was nefarious and meant to hide something. Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025 Nashville Church of Christ claims the inquiry is a consequence of a nefarious conspiracy devised by those former congregants. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 Those steps mitigate the risk of nefarious actors getting access to a physical device, leading to serious, and reputation-harming, incidents, Uenuma said. Bob Woods, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nefarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nefarious
Adjective
  • When her mother leaves the room for a moment, she's accosted by a demonic entity that toys with her through funhouse-style reflections, creating this evil doppelganger of Judy.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The city has been taken over by a bunch of evil gangs and so the nerdy Scott Pilgrim and his pals, including Ramona Flowers and Lucas Lee come to the rescue.
    Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Green, of Jackson Township, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Reid's death, according to Billhimer.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.
    Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Even the paper’s biggest triumph—which, without giving too much away, brings it into direct conflict with its toilet-paper stablemate—involves a farcically immoral compromise that tramples the church-state divide between news and product sales (and, worse, isn’t all that funny).
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In an important variation, medieval soldiers returning from war regularly spent an extended period of penance in monasteries – a recognition of Catholicism’s teaching that any war is inherently sinful.
    Timothy Gabrielli, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.
    Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • What's more, monsters like Alex Jones, the vile conspiracy theorist, claimed the shooting never happened and that the families of the victims were actors.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • His motives seemed as vile as his actions.
    Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This was a classic Smith performance with tons of yardage and some risky throws with both good and bad results.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • You were called something much worse, and [it was] accepted.
    Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nefarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nefarious. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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