abhor

English

Etymology

First attested in 1449, from Middle English abhorren, borrowed from Middle French abhorrer, from Latin abhorreō (“shrink away from in horror”), from ab- (“from”) +‎ horreō (“stand aghast, bristle with fear”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əbˈhɔː(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /æbˈhɔɹ/, /əbˈhɔɹ/

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

Verb

abhor (third-person singular simple present abhors, present participle abhorring, simple past and past participle abhorred)

1. (transitive) To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward.

   Synonyms: detest, disdain, loathe

   I absolutely abhor being stuck in traffic jams

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Romans 12:9:

     Let loue bee without dissimulation: abhorre that which is euill, cleaue to that which is good.

   • 2003 April 20, Henry G. Brinton, “A Congregation Divided”, in The Washington Post‎, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 January 2024‎:

     I have risked alienating some members with criticism of the war, reminding them, for example, that the Lord abhors our worship of the false gods of Western affluence, worldly power and high technology. I agree with Michael J. Easley, the senior pastor-teacher of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, when he says, "I think my 'job' is to clearly teach the Scriptures, not be persuaded by what may or may not be our people's views."

2. (transitive, obsolete, impersonal) To fill with horror or disgust.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 332, column 2:

     But neuer taynt my Loue. I cannot say Whore,
     It do's abhorre me now I speake the word,
     To do the Act, that might the addition earne,
     Not the worlds Masse of vanitie could make me.

3. (transitive) To turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.
4. (transitive, canon law, obsolete) To protest against; to reject solemnly.
   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 216, column 2:

     I vtterly abhorre; yea, from my Soule
     Refuse you for my Iudge, whom yet once more
     I hold my most malicious Foe, and thinke not
     At all a Friend to truth.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To feel horror, disgust, or dislike (towards); to be contrary or averse (to); construed with from.
   • 1531, Thomas Elyot, “That all daunsinge is nat to be reproued”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour  (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published , →OCLC, 1st book, page 86:

     Also in those daunces were enterlased dities of wanton loue or ribaudry, with frequent remembrance of the moste vile idolis Venus and Bacchus, as it were that the daunce were to their honour and memorie, whiche most of all abhorred from Christes religion, sauerynge the auncient errour of paganysme.

   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter VII, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: , 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book II, page 46:

     Either then the law by harmless and needful dispenses, which the gospel is now made to deny, must have anticipated and exceeded the grace of the gospel, or else must be found to have given politic and superficial graces without real pardon, saying in general, “do this and live,” and yet deceiving and damning underhand with unsound and hollow permissions; which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law, as hath been shewed.

6. (intransitive, obsolete) Differ entirely from.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (to regard as horrifying or detestable): See Thesaurus:hate

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

• “abhor”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “abhor”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Bohra, Borah, broha