nefarious
[ ni-fair-ee-uhs ]
/ nɪˈfɛər i əs /
adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
outrageous, vile, vicious, odious, heinous, shameful, horrible, abominable, atrocious, base, corrupt, criminal, degenerate, depraved, detestable, dreadful, evil, execrable, flagitious, flagrant
Nearby words
- neep,
- neese,
- neet,
- nef,
- nefandous,
- nefariously,
- nefazodone,
- nefertem,
- nefertiti,
- nefretete
Origin of nefarious
1595–1605; < Latin nefārius wicked, vile, equivalent to nefās offense against divine or moral law (ne- negative prefix + fās law, right) + -ius -ious, with intervocalic s > r
SYNONYMS FOR nefarious
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nefarious
nefarious
/ (nɪˈfɛərɪəs) /
adjective
evil; wicked; sinful
Word Origin for nefarious
C17: from Latin nefārius, from nefās unlawful deed, from nē not + fās divine law
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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nefarious
c.1600, from Latin nefarius "wicked, abominable, impious," from nefas "crime, wrong, impiety," from ne- "not" (see un-) + fas "right, lawful, divinely spoken," related to fari "to speak" (see fame (n.)). Related: Nefariously.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper