abominable

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English abhomynable, from Old French abominable, from Late Latin abōminābilis (“deserving abhorrence”), from abōminor (“abhor, deprecate as an ill omen”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ōminor (“forebode, predict, presage”), from ōmen (“sign, token, omen”). Formerly erroneously folk-etymologized as deriving from Latin ab- + homo, literally "away from humankind," and therefore spelled abhominable, abhominal (Hence, Shakespeare puns on this when Hamlet speaks of incompetent actors that "imitate humanity abominably.") === Pronunciation === (US) IPA(key): /əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/, /əˈbɑm.nə.bl̩/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ɘˈbɔm.ɘ.nɘ.bɯ/ Hyphenation: a‧bom‧i‧na‧ble === Adjective === abominable (comparative more abominable, superlative most abominable) Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable. [first attested around 1150 to 1350] (obsolete) Excessive, large (used as an intensifier). Very bad or inferior. Disagreeable or unpleasant. [First attested in the late 19th century.] ==== Alternative forms ==== abhominable (obsolete, based on folk etymology), abhominal (obsolete, based on folk etymology) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Collocations ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Norwegian Bokmål: abominabel ==== Translations ==== === References === “abominable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “abominable”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “abominable”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin abōminābilis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central) [ə.βu.miˈnab.blə] IPA(key): (Balearic) [ə.bo.miˈnab.blə] IPA(key): (Valencia) [a.bo.miˈna.ble] Rhymes: -ablə, -able === Adjective === abominable m or f (masculine and feminine plural abominables) abominable ==== Derived terms ==== abominablement ==== Related terms ==== abominar abominació == French == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Late Latin abōminābilis (“abominable, detestable”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /a.bɔ.mi.nabl/ Homophone: abominables === Adjective === abominable (plural abominables) absolutely loathsome; abominable Exceedingly bad or ugly; abominable ==== Synonyms ==== Most terms of the second category also have literal meanings closer to that of the first, but are now less common in these uses, as well as marking actions that are not as markedly odious. (loathsome): odieux, méprisable, ignoble, sacrilège (religious), impie (religious) (exceedingly bad or ugly): laid, détestable, exécrable, horrible ==== Derived terms ==== abominable homme des neiges abominablement === Further reading === “abominable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Galician == === Alternative forms === abominábel abominável (reintegrationist) === Etymology === From Late Latin abōminābilis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /abomiˈnable/ [a.β̞o.mĩˈna.β̞lɪ] Rhymes: -able Hyphenation: a‧bo‧mi‧na‧ble === Adjective === abominable m or f (plural abominables) abominable ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “abominable”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 == Middle English == === Adjective === abominable alternative form of abhomynable == Norwegian Bokmål == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /abɔmɪˈnɑːblə/ Rhymes: -ɑːblə Hyphenation: a‧bo‧mi‧na‧ble === Adjective === abominable definite singular of abominabel plural of abominabel == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin abōminābilis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /abomiˈnable/ [a.β̞o.miˈna.β̞le] Rhymes: -able Syllabification: a‧bo‧mi‧na‧ble === Adjective === abominable m or f (masculine and feminine plural abominables) abominable ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “abominable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025