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abominate
/əˈbɒmɪneɪt/
detest strongly
She abominates cruelty to animals.
She strongly dislikes and feels disgust toward cruelty to animals.
formal
to regard with intense loathing or disgust
The dictator was abominated by the international community.
The dictator was intensely hated and despised by the international community.
Many people abominate the idea of animal testing.
Many people strongly dislike and feel repelled by the idea of animal testing.
More intense than 'hate' or 'dislike'; often implies moral or ethical revulsion. Rare in casual speech.
Collocations
abominate the very thought offeel extreme disgust at the mere idea ofbe universally abominatedbe hated or despised by everyone
Pro Tip
Avoid overusing
Abominate is very strong. Use 'hate' or 'dislike' in casual contexts. Reserve abominate for formal writing or when emphasizing deep moral disgust.
Gold Rule
Formal tone
Use abominate only in formal writing, speeches, or literary contexts. It sounds archaic or overly dramatic in casual speech.
Moral context
The word often implies moral or ethical disgust, not just personal preference. For example, 'I abominate broccoli' is grammatically correct but sounds unnatural.
Word Origin
From Latin *abominari* ('to deprecate as an ill omen'), from *ab-* ('away from') + *omen* ('sign, omen'). The sense of intense dislike emerged in Middle English.
Usage Notes
Abominate is a transitive verb and is followed by a noun or gerund phrase. It is formal and rarely used in everyday conversation. Avoid confusing with 'abomination' (a noun meaning something that causes disgust).
Word Breakdown
ab-
away from
prefix-omin-
omen
root-ate
verb-forming suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary