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

Did you know?

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.
That closeness is a testament to the skills of case officers, especially considering that spies regularly engage and build rapport with individuals who pose threats to American safety—criminals, terrorists, diplomats from the world’s most odious regimes. Jeremy Hurewitz, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024 For now, the view here is that absent the monumental theft that is devaluation there’s no market for someone as odious as Hitler, nor is there acceptance of the genocidal horrors that Hitler foisted on Germany to its everlasting detriment. John Tamny, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 Nowhere in the series is this more apparent than in a conversation with Brett Favre, the odious Hall of Fame quarterback Rodgers replaced on the Packers. Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024 As is consistent across American life, the only way to hold a corporation like Spotify accountable for its inequitable distribution model and odious use of A.I. is to deny it access to your wallet and personal data. Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near odious

Cite this Entry

“Odious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odious. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

odious

adjective
odi·​ous ˈōd-ē-əs How to pronounce odious (audio)
: causing hatred or strong dislike : worthy of hatred
odiously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on odious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!