nefarious

adjective

ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfer-ē-əs 

: flagrantly wicked or corrupt : evil

a nefarious scheme

The more nefarious of these supervillains hide in plain sight.

—Amelia Tait

The town itself is a classic of the genre, full of scheming locals, buried secrets and nefarious elites trying to make a quick buck.

—David Faris

nefariously adverb

Did you know?

What Is the Difference Between vicious, villainous, and nefarious?

Nefarious comes from the Latin adjective nefarius and the Latin noun nefas, which means "crime." Nefas is a combination of ne- ("not") and fas, meaning "right" or "divine law."

Synonyms of nefarious

• evil
• unlawful
• immoral
• sinful
• vicious
• vile
• dark
• bad
• wicked
• villainous

Choose the Right Synonym for nefarious

vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct.

vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

Examples of nefarious in a Sentence

Moreover, those starry-eyed states inclined to perceive international relations in moral terms frequently underestimate the nefarious machinations of their competitors on the world political stage. —Richard Wolin, New Republic, 4 June 2001

… I always give the same response: Just because Frank posed for pictures with every leading capo, underboss and cement contractor of the day doesn't mean that he joined them in their nefarious underworld activities. Oh, occasionally he rode along on a hit or two, but that was just one of those social obligations … —Lewis Grossberger, Time, 21 Dec. 1998

Three-tenths of a mile uphill from our mailbox on the road, that bend is so nefarious that neophytes often skidded into a snowbank or wound up fender-deep in mud there. —Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987

a nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money

the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas

Recent Examples on the Web

In the absence of a plan—even a nefarious one—the immense power of the federal government is getting distributed to all the president’s radical men. —Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025

Marlowe’s life story is also filled with near escapes, nefarious friends, bizarre escapades. —Isaac Butler, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2025

That quest ties back to a nefarious dark lord (Kiyoshi Kobayashi) who intends to open a portal of demons that will cede the city of Tokyo to his control. —Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

Or, as suggested by the shadowy figures appearing to trail her every move, are there really more nefarious things at play? —Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin nefarius, from nefas crime, from ne- not + fas right, divine law; perhaps akin to Greek themis law, tithenai to place — more at do

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nefarious

• aquarius
• cinereous
• gregarious
• hilarious
• malarious
• precarious
• vicarious
• carious
• scarious
• various
• multifarious

Kids Definition

nefarious

adjective

ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfar-ē-əs 

-ˈfer-

: very wicked : evil

nefariously adverb

nefariousness noun