ABHORRENT Synonyms: 184 Similar and Opposite Words

abhorrent

adjective

əb-ˈhȯr-ənt

Definition of abhorrent

as in disgusting

causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment he considers it abhorrent the way she keeps her dogs penned up all the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in contemptuous

feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern she's abhorrent of the nonsense that the tabloid media pass off as news

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of abhorrent Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026 What’s striking is that Torrente is an abhorrent, fascist, Francoist, machista alcoholic yet people see him right at home in politics. — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026 His abhorrent behavior is sadly too common across the restaurant industry, from the finest dining to the humblest street stalls. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026 Antisemitism is abhorrent and has resulted in the greatest atrocities in human history. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abhorrent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abhorrent

Adjective

This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
That it’s populated with disgusting creatures and monsters, Jackson’s forté, doesn’t hurt.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of disgusting

Adjective

The Larson campaign became openly contemptuous of Bronin at the May convention.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
The man didn’t catch Serena’s contemptuous expression, however, too busy peeling bills from a money clip and pressing them into his date’s hand.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Definition of contemptuous

Adjective

But that team’s awful 2026 season meant any shock switch was a non-starter.

— Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Kavulich believes that at some point, the situation is going to turn so awful that either Cuban leaders will be forced to change, or the United States will intervene.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of awful

Adjective

Success can feel like a cruel tease, fleetingly unattainable and yet when finally achieved, too dangerous to enjoy too long.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
If Russia behaved badly, that was the fault of its primitive and cruel Asian side, a notion that conveniently created the fiction that Western countries are not capable of similar cruelty.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

As horrible news stories go, few could compare with what happened on a Greek holiday island Monday.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reelection campaign just got worse after Wednesday night’s debate in Sherman Oaks.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

As Cusk has become more disdainful of fiction and more insistent on the documentary function of art, her work has become vaguer and less concrete, fading like old ink into blurred indeterminacy.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
It was delivered with sneers, an ugly, small-minded few minutes in support of the sclerotic, disdainful of dynamic change.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

Definition of disdainful

Adjective

The animation is truly ugly, the characters moving at the framerate of a PowerPoint and looking less like the animals they’re supposed to be than weird hybrid troll creatures.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
The wrong paint color, outdated furniture, and yes, even an ugly light fixture could be aging your home and (ugh) majorly cramping its style.

— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of ugly

Adjective

Use strong security software Good security software can help protect you from malicious links, phishing attempts and other online threats that may try to steal your information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Many phones silently join familiar-looking networks without user confirmation, a behavior that attackers exploit through malicious wireless access points that mimic trusted hotspots.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

abhorrences

abhorrent

abhorring

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Abhorrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abhorrent. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of abhorrent

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

southpaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes