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
Yet, having survived the nefarious influence of its neighbor, another battle was emerging that transcended borders.
—
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Year: 2004 Director: Jonathan Demme Runtime: 2h 9m A perfectly fine remake that features a perfectly fine performance from Washington as a former soldier who starts to think that he and his buddies (including Liev Schreiber) were brainwashed for nefarious purposes.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram overnight Wednesday, Starr, who plays the nefarious anti-superhero Homelander, praised the show's cast, crew, and fans.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In an era where data is currency and digital freedom is under threat, VPNs are not a fringe convenience or an indication of nefarious activity by the user.
—James Czerniawski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nefarious
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 15 Aug. 2025
Year: 2004 Director: Jonathan Demme Runtime: 2h 9m A perfectly fine remake that features a perfectly fine performance from Washington as a former soldier who starts to think that he and his buddies (including Liev Schreiber) were brainwashed for nefarious purposes.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram overnight Wednesday, Starr, who plays the nefarious anti-superhero Homelander, praised the show's cast, crew, and fans.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
In an era where data is currency and digital freedom is under threat, VPNs are not a fringe convenience or an indication of nefarious activity by the user.
—James Czerniawski, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nefarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nefarious
Adjective
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As these evil forces encroach, the pup finds the courage to protect his owner and territory.—
Connor Merrihew,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Aug. 2025
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Somehow the lucky, evil, nefarious Wordle Bot guessed in just two today!—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Drake Solomon accuses his former employer of disability discrimination and an unlawful severance offer.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Instead, advocates say those who are not in shelter are being pushed farther and farther away from services in an attempt to escape unlawful camping citations.—
Keely Doll,
The Courier-Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Rudy flames out on his first day, though, and ends up working for a shady lawyer named Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) and her gleefully immoral paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne).—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Aug. 2025
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And that may be a good thing for humanity: For humans to thrive in this new era, immoral corporate executives and world leaders alike need to be replaced by AI, Gawdat advised.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Growing up in rural Tennessee, my grandfather learned that certain activities — card playing, smoking, imbibing — were sinful.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Feeling profoundly betrayed and abandoned by David, Rebecca’s loyalty lies with the vicious and conniving Juno, the only family she’s known for the last decade.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
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Nothing could possibly go wrong with all the vicious alien specimens on board, right?—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Jacob called his father prior to his death, and the worried dad overheard Donald shouting vile insults at his son, said prosecutors.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
9 Aug. 2025
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Ed and Lorraine had contact with the most vile and evil entities tied to those objects.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Sydney Sweeney’s new dark crime comedy Americana is new in theaters this weekend.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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One look at his lone, dark face in his Brighton High class picture tells you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This is all made much, much worse by the fact that Claire’s parents end up time-travelling . . .—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Umbro have taken a ‘back to basics’ approach with West Ham’s kits this year, which absolutely does not mean bad.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nefarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nefarious. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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