abominate

verb

abom·​i·​nate ə-ˈbä-mə-ˌnāt 

abominated; abominating

transitive verb

formal

: to hate or loathe intensely : abhor

Above all he abominated intolerance …

—G. R. Elton

abominator

ə-ˈbä-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• abhor
• despise
• detest
• execrate
• hate
• loathe

Choose the Right Synonym for abominate

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for.

hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of abominate in a Sentence

a politician who is revered by his supporters and abominated by his enemies

he abominates the sight of the park he once loved being turned into a parking lot

Recent Examples on the Web

And there is nothing more deflating than watching someone who has put his foot wrong in this culture subject himself to performative self-criticism, abominating himself as a bearer of privilege. —Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 2 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin abōminātus, past participle of abōminārī "to avert (an event forecast by an omen) by prayer, to abhor, detest," from ab- ab- + ōminārī "to know by means of an omen, presage," verbal derivative of ōmin-, ōmen omen

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

abominate

verb

abom·​i·​nate ə-ˈbäm-ə-ˌnāt 

abominated; abominating

formal

: hate, loathe

abominator

-ˌnāt-ər 

noun