nefarious
Use Nefarious in a sentence
i adjective
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.
Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin nefārius wicked, vile, equivalent to nefās offense against divine or moral law (ne- negative prefix + fās law, right) + -ius -ious, with intervocalic s > r
1595–1605; < Latin nefārius wicked, vile, equivalent to nefās offense against divine or moral law (ne- negative prefix + fās law, right) + -ius -ious, with intervocalic s > r
Related forms
ne·far·i·ous·ly, adverb
ne·far·i·ous·ness, noun
un·ne·far·i·ous, adjective
un·ne·far·i·ous·ly, adverb
un·ne·far·i·ous·ness, noun
Synonyms
flagitious, heinous, infamous; vile, atrocious, execrable.
flagitious, heinous, infamous; vile, atrocious, execrable.
Antonyms
good, honest.
good, honest.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To nefarious
00:10
Nefarious
is an SAT word you need to know.
So is abase. Does it mean:
| disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious |
| To reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; degrade. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
nefarious (nɪˈfɛərɪəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| evil; wicked; sinful | |
| [C17: from Latin nefārius, from nefās unlawful deed, from nē not + fās divine law] | |
| ne'fariously | |
| —adv | |
| ne'fariousness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
To this day, Walton does not believe that anything nefarious was going on.
In general, scholars do not think of impression management as an intentionally deceptive or nefarious practice.
Even this article seems to imply something nefarious and evil about his money.
The first cousin of the white lie is the idle boast-not quite so harmless, but not nefarious, either.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
