abominable
English
Alternative forms
- (obsolete) abhominable
Etymology
From Middle English abhomynable, from Old French abominable, from Late Latin abōminābilis (“deserving abhorrence”), from abōminor (“abhor, deprecate as an ill omen”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ōminor (“forebode, predict, presage”), from ōmen (“sign, token, omen”).
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/, /əˈbɑm.nə.bl̩/
- (General New Zealand) IPA(key): /ɘˈbɔm.ɘ.nɘ.bɯ/
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective
abominable (comparative more abominable, superlative most abominable)
- Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable. [first attested around 1150 to 1350][1]
- But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. — Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
- (obsolete) Excessive, large (used as an intensifier).
- (Can we date this quote?) George Perkins Marsh
- Note: Juliana Berners ... informs us that in her time (15th century), "abomynable syght of monkes" was elegant English for "a large company of friars".
- (Can we date this quote?) George Perkins Marsh
- Very bad or inferior.
- Disagreeable or unpleasant. [First attested in the late 19th century.][1]
Usage notes
- Nouns to which "abominable" is often applied: man, woman, crime, act, deed, sin, vice, character, place, mystery, treatment, church, bride, snowman.
Derived terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
hateful; detestable; loathsome
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very bad or inferior
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
References
- “abominable” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 6.
- abominable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- abominable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- abominable at OneLook Dictionary Search
Catalan
Pronunciation
Derived terms
French
Etymology
From Latin abōminābilis (“abominable, detestable”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.bɔ.mi.nabl/
Audio (France, Paris) (file) - Homophone: abominables
Adjective
abominable (plural abominables)
- Absolutely loathsome; abominable.
- Exceedingly bad or ugly; abominable.
Synonyms
- Most terms of the second category also have literal meanings closer to that of the first, but are now less common in these uses, as well as marking actions that are not as markedly odious.
- (loathsome): odieux, méprisable, ignoble, sacrilège (religious), impie (religious)
- (exceedingly bad or ugly): laid, détestable, exécrable, horrible
Derived terms
Further reading
- “abominable” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Middle English
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin abōminābilis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /abomiˈnable/, [aβomiˈnaβle]
Derived terms
Further reading
- “abominable” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
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