abhor

American  

[ab-hawr] / æbˈhɔr /

verb (used with object)

abhorred, abhorring

1. to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate.

   Synonyms:

   despise

   Antonyms:

   admire , love

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abhor British  

/ əbˈhɔː /

verb

1. (tr) to detest vehemently; find repugnant; reject

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Related Words

See hate.

Other Word Forms

• abhorrer noun
• superabhor verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of abhor

First recorded before 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin abhorrēre “to shrink back from, shudder at,” equivalent to ab- ab- + horrēre “to bristle, tremble”

Example Sentences

Briloff would say that markets abhor uncertainty, and less frequent reporting only adds more.

From Barron's

By the late-19th century, “Grub Street” had become a generic term for ambitious, worldly—and mostly talentless—writers, everything the classicist Gissing abhorred.

From The Wall Street Journal

While he abhors actors who think “mumbling is interesting,” he doesn’t overwhelm younger actors who ask for advice with too much detail.

From Los Angeles Times

“I disagree with—and even abhor—things that Nick Fuentes says, but canceling him is not the answer either,” Mr. Roberts said.

From The Wall Street Journal

That, however, would require something Generation Z abhors: boredom.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• despise
• detest
• hate
• loathe
• scorn