nefarious

[ni-fair-ee-uh s]

See more synonyms for nefarious on Thesaurus.com

adjective

extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.

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

Related formsne·far·i·ous·ly, adverbne·far·i·ous·ness, nounun·ne·far·i·ous, adjectiveun·ne·far·i·ous·ly, adverbun·ne·far·i·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for nefarious on Thesaurus.com

flagitious, heinous, infamous; vile, atrocious, execrable.

Antonyms

good, honest.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nefarious

Contemporary Examples

Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?
Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle
December 23, 2014
The Arabs offered the Nazis a haven, as well as a market for all their nefarious dealings in arms and black market currency.
Hitler’s Henchmen in Arabia
Guy Walters
December 7, 2014
Rumors swirled that the McStays had gone into Mexico and were involved in nefarious dealings with drug cartels.
Family's Best Friend Charged With Murdering Them All
Nina Strochlic
November 7, 2014
But Green-Wood is more famous for its nefarious residents, those of the drug-peddling, political-swindling, hit-men variety.
Brooklyn’s Gangster Graveyard
Nina Strochlic
October 23, 2014
Greece claims they were looted from the Parthenon by a nefarious British Indiana Jones character in the early 1800s.
Can Amal Clooney Save Greece’s Antiquities?
Nico Hines
October 15, 2014

Historical Examples

Nay, they are neither; but, nevertheless, their errand is a nefarious one.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
They were probably out on the trail pursuing their nefarious calling.
The Twins of Suffering Creek
Ridgwell Cullum
Might she not be the tool, consciously or unconsciously, of a nefarious plot?
The Crevice
William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander
It is the duty of patriotic Swedes to thwart this nefarious project.
England and Germany
Emile Joseph Dillon
Let us see then if you'll dare to persist in this nefarious scheme.
Arthur O'Leary
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for nefarious

nefarious

adjective

evil; wicked; sinful

Derived Formsnefariously, adverbnefariousness, noun

Word Origin

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nefarious

adj.

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.

nefarious

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}nefarious

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for nefarious

Contemporary Examples

Sometimes politicians oppose reform for nefarious reasons—to protect a special interest or a major donor, for example.

The Arabs offered the Nazis a haven, as well as a market for all their nefarious dealings in arms and black market currency.

Rumors swirled that the McStays had gone into Mexico and were involved in nefarious dealings with drug cartels.

But Green-Wood is more famous for its nefarious residents, those of the drug-peddling, political-swindling, hit-men variety.

Greece claims they were looted from the Parthenon by a nefarious British Indiana Jones character in the early 1800s.

Historical Examples

Nay, they are neither; but, nevertheless, their errand is a nefarious one.

They were probably out on the trail pursuing their nefarious calling.

Might she not be the tool, consciously or unconsciously, of a nefarious plot?

It is the duty of patriotic Swedes to thwart this nefarious project.

Let us see then if you'll dare to persist in this nefarious scheme.

nefarious

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for nefarious

adj.

Origin of nefarious