Do you know the definition of abominable? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word abominable, including its definition, usage, word origin, and more!
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Kevin
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August 29, 2021
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What does the word abominable mean?
According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word abominable means unpleasant or bad, like a bad omen or ill omen. If something is abominable, one can have an abhorrence for it, like a thing of evil omen to the utmost degree. Many things can be abominable, including an abominable taste, abominable turd, abominable beast, Janin’s abominable article, abominable workmanship, an abominable human being, abominable April weather, the abominable antagonist of the film, the abominable New York City subway, the abominable treatment of prisoners and more. Abominable is five syllables – a-bom-i-na-ble, and the pronunciation of abominable is əbɒm-ə-nə-bəll. The suffix ble can be replaced with bly to create the adverb abominably (adv.) and ness can be added to form abominableness.
Many different languages also use words that mean abominable. You may notice that some of these words look similar to one another. This is probably due to the fact that they share a common origin. Oftentimes, words that have a shared root language such as Latin or Greek will look, sound, and mean similar things. These are called cognates. This list of translations for the word abominable is provided by Word Sense.
- Tagalog: kaani-ani (literally), kamuhi-muhi (literally)
- Bulgarian: отвратителен, противен, ненавистен, омразен (masc.)
- Norwegian: avskyelig
- Esperanto: abomena
- Polish: ohydny, odrażający, plugawy, niegodziwy
- German: verabscheuungswürdig, verhasst, abscheulich
- Spanish: abominable, aborrecible
- Arabic: بَغِيض (masc.)
- Dutch: abominabel, afstotelijk, verschrikkelijk, afschuwelijk, verfoeilijk
- Russian: отврати́тельный, омерзи́тельный, проти́вный, гну́сный, га́дкий, отвра́тный, ненави́стный
- Latin: abōminābilis
- Turkish: iğrenç, berbat, menfur
- Romanian: abominabil, detestabil (masc.)
- Hungarian: utálatos, undorító, gyűlöletes
- French: abominable
- Interlingua: abominabile
- Portuguese: abominável, execrável
- Egyptian Arabic: وحش
- Catalan: abominable
- Italian: abominabile
What is the origin of the word abominable?
According to Etymonline, the word abominable has been used since the mid-14c Middle English abhominable, which was this way until c17. This is considered a folk etymology, as if from the Latin ab homine. In the Early Modern English, it was sometimes divided as a bominable. This word actually comes from the c12 Old French abominable and the Late Latin abominabilis/Late Latin abōminābilis, from the Latin abominari/abōminārī/abōminā, from the Latin ab and Latin omin. Related words include abōminor, Latin homine, and ōminor.
What are synonyms and antonyms of abominable?
There are many different words that someone can use in place of the word abominable. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same definition as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself as well as if you are looking to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word abominable is provided by Power Thesaurus.
- accursed
- appalling
- shocking
- rotten
- disgraceful
- despicable
- unspeakable
- monstrous
- unholy
- distasteful
- damnable
- wicked
- sickening
- unappetizing
- lousy
- atrocious
- hideous
- gruesome
- loathsome
- cruel
- unsavory
- nauseous
- fiendish
- repulsive
- vicious
- immoral
- egregious
- sinful
- base
- evil
- disgusting
- scary
- diabolical
- grievous
- contemptible
- dirty
- dire
- hateful
- shameful
- hellish
- offensive
- iniquitous
- obscene
- odious
- dishonorable
- abhorrent
- execrable
- outrageous
- yucky
- foul
- nauseating
- dastardly
- ghastly
- mean
- obnoxious
- nefarious
- horrible
- horrific
- vile
- wretched
- infamous
- heinous
- scandalous
- beastly
- ugly
- awful
- brutal
- horrendous
- deplorable
- reprehensible
- godawful
- detestable
- noxious
- dreadful
- frightful
- terrible
- bad
- stinking
- dark
- horrid
- unpalatable
- gross
- cursed
- revolting
- fearful
- repellent
- horrifying
- unpleasant
- filthy
- villainous
- grisly
- objectionable
- depraved
- painful
- barbarous
- nasty
- repugnant
- disagreeable
- noisome
- flagitious
There are also many different words that have the opposite meaning of the word abominable. These opposite words are known as antonyms, and are also useful to know if you are trying to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word abominable is also provided by Power Thesaurus.
- exquisite
- sweet
- charming
- supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- attractive
- alluring
- desirable
- kindhearted
- gorgeous
- admirable
- exceptional
- handsome
- aesthetic
- likable
- marvellous
- appealing
- grateful
- beautiful
- great
- excellent
- marvelous
- sexy
- amazing
- divine
- innocuous
- desired
- pretty
- delightful
- perfect
- enjoyable
- cute
- lovable
- noble
- delicious
- palatable
- slick
- heavenly
- goodly
- supreme
- magnificent
- blessed
- wonderful
- glorious
- pleasant
- extraordinary
- tasty
- splendid
- lovely
- nice
- pleasing
How can the word abominable be used in a sentence?
The word abominable can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to familiarize yourself with their definition. You can also create flashcards or quizzes to test your knowledge. Below are many examples of the abominable adjective to get your started!
He made an abominable judgement on the ethical case, an eventuality that would come back to haunt him in the end. Throughout the trial, he was mocking poets and calling the defendant a “homo.”
Matt McCoy, Jeffrey Combs, Lance Henriksen, Rex Linn, Dee Wallace, Phil Morris, Paul Gleason and Haley Joel agreed that the weather was abominable. They all decided to stay inside and watch movies all day. Despite the horrid weather, it was a beautiful day.
She had the most abominable day. She got caught in the rain on the way to an early shift at work. Then, a bus drove by and covered her in gray water. Once she got to work, she had forgotten her key, and customers yelled at her all day. She came out of work to a flat tire, and just when she thought she would find some comfort in takeout, it was delivered cold,.
Overall, the word abominable means horrid or bad. The word abominable can be used in many different situations in the English language. This word is very versatile. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today! You never know, it might become one of your new favorite words.
Sources:
- abominable: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense
- Abominable synonyms – 1 225 Words and Phrases for Abominable | Power Thesaurus
- Abominable antonyms – 535 Opposites of Abominable | Power Thesaurus
- abominable | Origin and meaning of abominable | Online Etymology Dictionary
- Abominable definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
