odious
Americanadjective
-
deserving or causing hatred; hateful; detestable.
- Synonyms:
- execrable, despicable, objectionable, abominable
- Antonyms:
- lovable, attractive
-
highly offensive; repugnant; disgusting.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See hateful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of odious
1350–1400; Middle English from Latin odiōsus, equivalent to od(ium) “hatred,” odium + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
If something is odious, it's hateful. If you become a historian of slavery, you'll learn all the details of that odious trade. Odious is from the Latin noun odium, which means hatred. It is a strong word, so don't call someone odious unless you want to accuse someone of being loathsome or vile. Actions can also be called odious. A typical use is Shakespeare's in Othello: "You told a lie, an odious damned lie." Some synonyms are hateful, contemptible, detestable, and abominable.
Vocabulary lists containing odious
Fahrenheit 451
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"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
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"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the paper, titled “‘As Odious and Immoral a Thing’: Alexander Hamilton’s Hidden History as an Enslaver,” Jessie Serfilippi, a historical interpreter at the mansion, examines letters, account books and other documents.
From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2020
Fire When Ready A Tragedy in Toulouse Odious Obligations And the journalists who report on them don’t need to apologize for it.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2012
"Odious special prisons in Guantanamo and Bagram are still functioning, despite promises to shut them down," the statement said.
From Reuters • Apr. 11, 2011
Odious debt is a legal term usually applied to the endowments of dictators in the developing world.
From The Guardian • Nov. 22, 2010
Odious," explained the schoolma'am haughtily, "is not something nice.
From The Lonesome Trail and Other Stories by Bower, B. M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
