abomination

American  

[uh-bom-uh-ney-shuhn] / əˌbɒm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

• abominations
  plural

1. anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred.

2. intense aversion or loathing; detestation.

   He regarded lying with abomination.

   Synonyms:

   hatred

3. a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc..

   Spitting in public is an abomination.

   Synonyms:

   depravity, corruption

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abomination British  

/ əˌbɒmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. a person or thing that is disgusting

2. an action that is vicious, vile, etc

3. intense loathing

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-abomination
  noun
• superabomination
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• abominations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of abomination

1350–1400; Middle English ab ( h ) ominacioun < Late Latin abōminātiōn- (stem of abōminātiō ). See abominate, -ion

Explanation

The noun abomination means a thing or action that is vile, vicious or terrible. For example, if you see a neighbor kick an old blind dog that's done nothing wrong, you might remark, "That kind of cruelty is an abomination!" The word abomination comes from the Old French word abominacion, meaning "horror, repugnance, disgust." The word abomination can also be used to refer to a person or object you find utterly loathsome and repellent. If you look at someone else as an abomination, that means you are horrified by them, and barely even think they're human. If you hear a friend describing you as an abomination behind your back, you need to find a new buddy right away!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abomination abominations

Roberts said the prime minister was "clearly a good communicator but it had only been one week" - although she said his tea-making skills were an "abomination".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

And this VAR abomination we’ve all now been introduced to?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

“The texture is an abomination: gluey, with rubbery, chewy pockets.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

They had survived their way through the day despite their own awful shortcomings, winning on penalties because Rangers were an abomination in reply.

From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026

Once or twice it reared its head straight up, as if appealing to heaven—the abomination of the moment was perfectly expressed.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Over the decades, they have produced classics such as “Exile on Main St.” and “Some Girls,” mediocrity like “Steel Wheels,” and abominations such as “Dirty Work.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

But even before the balance goes unrespected, the team behind “The Substance” elevated the beauty of its stars to make their mutual descent into frightful abominations all the more jarring.

From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2025

Inside the church, services are held as abominations are uncovered outside.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2022

“The Last Matinee” epitomizes a style I think of as slow horror — not in the sense of a foot-dragging narrative, but in the extreme patience and relish with which it attends to its abominations.

From New York Times ● Aug. 5, 2021

She could taste their rage at Wick’s abominations, distinguish each soul’s flickering memories as they buzzed through the air.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older