abhorrence

American  

[ab-hawr-uhns, -hor-] / æbˈhɔr əns, -ˈhɒr- /

noun

1. a feeling of extreme repugnance or aversion; utter loathing; abomination.

   Synonyms:

   detestation, execration

2. something or someone extremely repugnant or loathsome.

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abhorrence British  

/ əbˈhɒrəns /

noun

1. a feeling of extreme loathing or aversion

2. a person or thing that is loathsome

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Other Word Forms

• self-abhorrence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of abhorrence

First recorded in 1650–60; abhorr(ent) + -ence

Explanation

Abhorrence is a feeling of hate and disgust. If you have an abhorrence of violence, you probably won't want to watch "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The Latin ancestor of abhorrence isn't all that different from today's word or its meaning — it comes from abhorrēre, which means "to shrink back from," and it became synonymous with loathing in the early 17th century. Note the similarity to the word horror — a good way to remember the word's meaning. The Polish physicist Joseph Rotblat knew the power of the word when he used it to refer to the "widespread instinctive abhorrence of nuclear weapons.”

Example Sentences

Abhorrence of prosecutorial abuse should reinforce the principle of legal equality.

From Washington Post • Mar. 31, 2023

Abhorrence lurks in “a version,” as Tarasoff’s haunted house suggests.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2020

Abhorrence of wastefulness is not unique to Japan; it is a human value that is widely embraced.

From Slate • May 13, 2019

Artistic Abhorrence Claiming that records made by the New York Philharmonic-Symphony under his direction were imperfect, goateed British Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham sued Columbia Recording Corp. for libel, estimating damage to his reputation at $500,000.

From Time Magazine Archive

Abhorrence of the king’s perfidy and of his ministers’ support, sympathy for Queen Caroline, and minor details parallel closely Hunt’s version in The Examiner.

From Leigh Hunt's Relations with Byron, Shelley and Keats by Miller, Barnette