Abominable
/əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/ adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.
"abominable crime"
- 2 Excessive, large (used as an intensifier). obsolete
- 3 Very bad or inferior.
- 4 Disagreeable or unpleasant.
"abominable weather"
Adjective
- 1 exceptionally bad or displeasing wordnet
- 2 unequivocally detestable wordnet
Example
More examples"The Abominable Snowman is a Himalayan monster."
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”). Formerly erroneously folk-etymologized as deriving from Latin ab- + homo, literally "away from humankind," and therefore spelled abhominable, abhominal (Hence, Shakespeare puns on this when Hamlet speaks of incompetent actors that "imitate humanity abominably.")