abomination

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English abominacioun, from Middle French abomination (“horror, disgust”), from Late Latin abōminātiō, abōminātiōnem (“abomination”)[1] Doublet of abominatio.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌbɒ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /əˌbɑ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən
  • Hyphenation: a‧bo‧mi‧na‧tion

Noun

abomination (countable and uncountable, plural abominations)

  1. (countable) An abominable act; a disgusting vice; a despicable habit. [from ca. 1150–1350][2]
    Synonym: perversion
    • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi], page 354, columns 1–2:
      Onely th’adulterous Anthony, most large / In his abhominations, turnes you off
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
      Religious sodomy was practised by male prostitutes in the Hebrew temple groves, which was one of the abominations of Israel that Josiah cleared away.
  2. (uncountable) The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
    Synonyms: abhorrence, aversion, detestation, disgust, loathing, loathsomeness, odiousness
  3. (obsolete, uncountable) A state that excites detestation or abhorrence; pollution. [ca. 1350–1470 to late 15th c.][2]
  4. (countable) That which is abominable, shamefully vile; an object that excites disgust and hatred (often with religious undertones). [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
    • 2012, Kathleen Jenks, “Cronus”, in Brian Kinsey, editor, Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, →ISBN, page 61:
      Appalled by a child she found hideous, Philyra begged the gods to free her from having to rear such an abomination.
    • 2025 June 3, David Smith, quoting Elon Musk, “Elon Musk calls Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill a ‘disgusting abomination’”, in The Guardian‎[1], →ISSN:
      Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, has opened a new rift with Donald Trump by denouncing the US president’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination”.

Derived terms

Translations

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Translations to be checked

References

  1. ^ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 4
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abomination”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 6.

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Late Latin abōminātiōnem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.bɔ.mi.na.sjɔ̃/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

abomination f (plural abominations)

  1. something vile and abominable; an abomination
  2. (chiefly religion) revulsion, abomination, disgust

Further reading

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