abomination

American  

[uh-bom-uh-nay-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

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Etymology

Origin of abomination

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

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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

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

“People who collect patterned glass think this is an abomination because it’s not in its original state. That’s ridiculous. I love it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

“But don’t worry. We can talk properly after we deliver that abomination to Father Olufemi.”

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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

We will never fully understand how far we’ve come as a nation until we accept and acknowledge the spectacular abominations that passed as normal.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 23, 2019

They must remain hidden, and give the humans no hint that they were here, or that, unthinkably, five abominations had survived the Carnage and eked out an existence here for fifteen years.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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