abomination
nounUK /əˌbɒ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/ · US /əˌbɑ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Etymology From Middle English abominacioun, from Middle French abomination (“horror, disgust”), from Late Latin abōminātiō, abōminātiōnem (“abomination”) Doublet of abominatio.
1
An abominable act; a disgusting vice; a despicable habit.
- Onely th’adulterous Anthony, most large / In his abhominations, turnes you offc. 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:
- Religious sodomy was practised by male prostitutes in the Hebrew temple groves, which was one of the abominations of Israel that Josiah cleared away.1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
2
The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred
3
Obsolete A state that excites detestation or abhorrence; pollution.
4
That which is abominable, shamefully vile; an object that excites disgust and hatred (often with religious undertones).
- Appalled by a child she found hideous, Philyra begged the gods to free her from having to rear such an abomination.2012, Kathleen Jenks, “Cronus”, in Brian Kinsey, editor, Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, →ISBN, page 61:
- 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”.2025 June 3, David Smith, quoting Elon Musk, “Elon Musk calls Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill a ‘disgusting abomination’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Derived terms
- abominationly, Obamanation
- Related terms
- abominable