as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas
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Recent Examples of nefarious
But the group in question — the American Inns of Court — is hardly secretive given its large public presence, and there is no evidence that members are involved in nefarious activities targeting Trump.
—
Melissa Goldin, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2025
To deter nefarious acts and regardless of your home’s size, consider adding outside lights that face your residence.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
But clearly, something nefarious is underpinning his campaign.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
The military declares martial law in the town as Daniels and his fellow scientists race to develop a cure, even as the nefarious McClintock schemes to bomb Cedar Creek to smithereens to contain the virus.
—Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nefarious
Melissa Goldin, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2025
To deter nefarious acts and regardless of your home’s size, consider adding outside lights that face your residence.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2025
But clearly, something nefarious is underpinning his campaign.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
The military declares martial law in the town as Daniels and his fellow scientists race to develop a cure, even as the nefarious McClintock schemes to bomb Cedar Creek to smithereens to contain the virus.
—Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nefarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nefarious
Adjective
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No country will afford to regimes which practice racial discrimination assistance which in its own judgment directly contributes to the pursuit or consolidation of this evil policy.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
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Lillard’s career catapulted following his turn in the flick as Stu Macher, one-half of the evil duo (including Ulrich’s Billy Loomis) behind the savage killings at Woodsboro High.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Both were arrested for evading arrest, and Thomas faces an additional charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2025
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White went on to plead guilty to a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to almost nine years in federal prison.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s contrived veneer is being ripped away to reveal an immoral, mendacious, transactional opportunist, without a shred of loyalty to anyone or anything but himself.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
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Before these studies, the cause of TB was presumed to be primarily constitutional, by either an inherent predisposition or from unhealthy or immoral lifestyles.—
Karen Dobos,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Michelle Yeoh Yeoh may be in her villain era, but there's nothing sinful about her Louvre look.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
5 Mar. 2025
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The dominant Christian theology of the Middle Ages held that wealth was inherently sinful in a world where most people toiled in terrible poverty.—
Brian Klaas,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle: more applications lead to lower acceptance rates, triggering even more applications from worried students.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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However, some people develop unhelpful habits and ways of thinking about sleep that create a vicious cycle, said Krieger, who is also director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Newsweek's efforts to politicize the death of these individuals, including the reporter's request to confirm names and locations of death, are vile.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Its cap is a shriveled mass of brown folds, darker than the caramel hue of the true morel.—
Shayla Love,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2025
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Same goes for Lady Gaga and her fire-red McQueen gown, which hit all the right notes of dark romance.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the Heat has been among the NBA’s worst teams in the league since Butler’s departure.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2025
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The most common reason a cruise ship skips a port is bad weather.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nefarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nefarious. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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