abomination
Americannoun
-
anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred.
-
intense aversion or loathing; detestation.
He regarded lying with abomination.
- Synonyms:
- hatred
-
a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc..
Spitting in public is an abomination.
- Synonyms:
- depravity, corruption
noun
-
a person or thing that is disgusting
-
an action that is vicious, vile, etc
-
intense loathing
Other Word Forms
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!
Vocabulary lists containing abomination
Things Fall Apart
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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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.
"It's allowing developers to game the system," the veteran of more than 50 years says, adding that making it law would be an "absolute abomination".
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025
For anyone who has seen this abomination up close, the conclusion is unbearable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
That abomination pops out of an unsettlingly cheerful woman whose husband swoops in to offer the hitchhiking boy a ride.
From Salon • Nov. 9, 2025
After all, the abomination living under Derry pre-dates the town’s founding.
From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025
These “cat treats” were an abomination, but they had clearly been engineered to appeal to the weak constitutions of Earth felines.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
