abomination
Americannoun
-
abominations
plural
-
anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred.
-
intense aversion or loathing; detestation.
He regarded lying with abomination.
- Synonyms:
- hatred
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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
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an action that is vicious, vile, etc
-
intense loathing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
And this VAR abomination we’ve all now been introduced to?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
"I love Harry but the prices for this tour are an actual abomination," wrote one on X.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2026
For anyone who has seen this abomination up close, the conclusion is unbearable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
After all, the abomination living under Derry pre-dates the town’s founding.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025
“Who is our final visitor? This poor, lumpy abomination? Could it be?”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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 as for the abominations of war, these sitcoms, like the bumbling Sgt.
From New York Times ● Sep. 16, 2022
Inside the church, services are held as abominations are uncovered outside.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2022
Old garlic, burnt garlic, garlic cut too long ago, garlic that has been smashed through one of those abominations, the garlic press, are all disgusting.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2022
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
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.
