Word
abomination
Phoneticsabom·i·na·tion
US/əˌbɑməˈneɪʃən/
UK/ɐbˌɒmɪnˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01a disgusting thing or act
n. something that is very bad, hateful, or disgusting.
n. a thing or action that causes intense disgust or moral hatred. Countable in this sense.
“The way the prisoners were treated was an abomination to human rights.”
“Critics described the new concrete skyscraper as an architectural abomination that ruined the historic skyline of the city.”
Formal
02religious/moral offense
n. something that is considered very wrong or shameful, especially in a religious way.
n. an object or practice that is considered shamefully vile or ritually unclean, often within a theological context.
“In some ancient cultures, eating certain animals was considered an abomination.”
“The prophet spoke out against the idols, calling them an abomination in the eyes of the temple authorities.”
Formal · Literary
Teaching tip
This sense is often found in older translations of religious texts like the Bible.
Synonyms
03feeling of hatred
n. a feeling of very strong dislike or disgust.
n. the intense feeling of detestation or loathing. Uncountable in this sense.
“He looked at the cruel man with a sense of pure abomination.”
“The public held the corrupt politician in utter abomination after the scandal was revealed.”
Archaic · Literary
Usage
Usually follows 'in' (e.g., 'to hold someone in abomination').
Teaching tip
This usage is rare in modern speech; 'loathing' or 'hatred' is much more common today.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Then again, even if by some miracle Dickinson had written the most hilarious sitcom of all time, it still would have turned to ash the moment he let it loose on these AI abominations.” “To know that they were enabled to do this to us through stolen information, and setting private investigators on us, and landline tapping and recording our live telephone calls is an abomination.” “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.” “On Tuesday, he described it as a "disgusting abomination", in a widening rift between the two.” Etymology
From Middle English abominacioun, from Middle French abomination (“horror, disgust”), from Late Latin abōminātiō, abōminātiōnem (“abomination”) Doublet of abominatio.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
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englishreference.com/q/abomination