abhor
Americanverb (used with object)
-
abhors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
abhorred,
past participle, past
-
abhorring
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See hate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
abhorsimple
-
abhorssimple
-
have abhorredperfect
-
has abhorredperfect
-
am abhorringprogressive
-
are abhorringprogressive
-
is abhorringprogressive
-
have been abhorringperfect progressive
-
has been abhorringperfect progressive
Past
-
abhorredsimple
-
had abhorredperfect
-
was abhorringprogressive
-
were abhorringprogressive
-
had been abhorringperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
If you abhor something, it gives you a feeling of complete hatred. Chances are you abhor that kid who used to torture the frogs in biology class. Abhor is from Latin abhorrere — "to shrink back in horror." It is the strongest way in English to express hatred, even stronger than loathe. We only use abhor in formal contexts; you might say "I abhor that man," but you would be less likely to say "I abhor spinach" unless you tend to express yourself in highfalutin terms no matter what the occasion.
Vocabulary lists containing abhor
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 9, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Romeo and Juliet
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
“I have experienced discrimination, which I abhor when directed to me or to anyone else,” said DeJute, who is gay.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Briloff would say that markets abhor uncertainty, and less frequent reporting only adds more.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
“I disagree with or even abhor things that Nick Fuentes says, but canceling him isn’t the answer either.”
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2025
Lord Darlington came to abhor anti-Semitism; I heard him express his disgust on several separate occasions when confronted with anti-Semitic sentiments.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Nature abhors a vacuum, and really, the only person who can speak for the committee is the chair,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
While Mrs. Bennet abhors glasses on women, Mary embraces them, the better to read her books with.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
During the conversation, Muir makes it clear he abhors crowded trades.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 22, 2026
Nature abhors a vacuum and markets aren’t all that keen on it either.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
“The whale abhors chaos; the squid detests order. Is this ship not the bastard child of both?”
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The public both abhorred and adored the scandal.
From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026
He was a political progressive who abhorred radicalism, an antimonopolist who recognized the inevitability of large corporations and chose to regulate rather than ban them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
He added, though, “I very much abhorred Jan. 6. There’s no cause for violence.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024
He was also a silver-tongued intellectual who abhorred boorish thinking and behavior and savored debates with the sharpest minds of his era.
From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2024
While I abhorred the notion of British imperialism, I never rejected the trappings of British style and manners.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
All had the backbone to join multiple Republicans in sharply abhorring the scandal.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 21, 2020
Politically, he remained exceptionally conservative, abhorring social unrest and invariably supporting law and order.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2017
The Legion sought a more national and collective or communal basis for the economy, while abhorring the materialism of capitalism and of socialism.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2017
The libretto, by Mr. Morrison and John Cox, an opera director and Wilde scholar, is a high-minded affair, preaching tolerance and abhorring bigotry at every turn.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2013
It is not by abhorring slavery that you can put an end to the institution.
From A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Convention For Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, Held at Washington, D.C., in February, A.D. 1861 by L. E. (Lucius Eugene) Chittenden
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.
