odious

adjective

odi·​ous ˈō-dē-əs How to pronounce odious (audio)
: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful
an odious crime
a false and odious comparison
odiously adverb
odiousness noun

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The Origin of Odious

Odious comes from Latin odiosus; that adjective is from the word for "hatred," odium. Odium is related to the English verb annoy, and it is used in English to mean "hatred" or "disgrace."

Examples of odious in a Sentence

Two of them—his mother Livia and his odious sister Janice—were at heart killers like himself. Geoffrey O'Brien, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007
He learned an important lesson some years ago in Panama. Manuel Antonio Noriega was too odious even for Carter, who shunned the Panamanian strongman in the run-up to the 1989 ballot there. Jim Wooten, New York Times Magazine, 29 Jan 1995
But, alas, I know the real me, the me with the soft, round stomach and the love handles, odious first cousins to the paunch. Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 1990
It was one of the most odious crimes of recent history. an odious and unforgivable insult
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Marty is prone to do some normie political comedy from time to time and has a history of playing annoying characters with odious personalities. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2024 After an odious 15-game performance, stained by players lacking discipline and fighting on the sideline, Penner identified the qualities most important for removing the floppy shoes and red nose from the organization’s coaching office. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2024 Nelson was speaking to the culprits behind these odious arrangements, in Congress (including himself from his time in the Senate), who see the space agency as a piggy bank and cost-plus contracts as a way to deliver jobs to constituents and share price boosts to campaign funders. Daniel Vergano, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 Friendship can make odious tasks tolerable and worthwhile tasks more satisfying. Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for odious 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin odiosus, from odium — see odium

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of odious was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near odious

Cite this Entry

“Odious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odious. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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