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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To regard with horror or loathing; detest: "The problem with Establishment Republicans is they abhor the unseemliness of a political brawl” ( Patrick J. Buchanan).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Literally, to shrink back from with horror or dread; hence, to regard with repugnance; hate extremely or with loathing; loathe, detest, or abominate: as, to abhor evil; to abhor intrigue.
  2. To fill with horror and loathing; horrify.
  3. Synonyms Hate, Abhor, Detest, etc. See hate.
  4. To shrink back with disgust, or with fear and shudderings.
  5. To be antagonistic; be averse or of opposite character: with from.

Wiktionary

  1. v. To regard with horror or detestation; to shrink back with shuddering from; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.
  2. v. To fill with horror or disgust.
  3. v. To protest against; to reject solemnly.
  4. v. To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with from.
  5. v. To regard with horror or detestation; to shrink back with shuddering from; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.
  6. v. To fill with horror or disgust.
  7. v. To protest against; to reject solemnly.
  8. v. To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with from.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. To shrink back with shuddering from; to regard with horror or detestation; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.
  2. v. To fill with horror or disgust.
  3. v. To protest against; to reject solemnly.
  4. v. To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. find repugnant

Etymologies

  1. Middle English abhorren, from Latin abhorrēre, to shrink from : ab-, from; see ab-1 + horrēre, to shudder.

Examples

  • “Most women I am sure would abhor me -- yes, Dorcas -- _abhor_ me. ”

    Wylder's Hand

  • “Mr. Beck, this scary “social justice” phrase you abhor is exactly what many believe is the correct objective for churches and other community organizations, saving the taxpayer millions upon millions upon millions of dollars annually.”

    Think Progress » Church Uses Marquee To Speak Out Against Beck: ‘Sorry Mr Beck, Jesus Preached Social Justice’

  • “Can't say I fancy the job much, but the only thing I positively abhor is 'faking' a society letter.”

    The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career

  • “All the hellish arts of malice and falsehood are made use of to render them odious or despicable; their words and actions are misconstrued, even that which they abhor is fathered upon them, laws are made to ensnare them (Dan.vi. 4, &c.), and all to ruin them and root them out.”

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon)

  • “Censorship of the President of the United States of America without prior and complete information, i.e. the speech, is to be abhorred. "abhor" - "to regard with extreme repugnance.”

    Greeley Tribune - Top Stories

  • “He said of them “whose actions I ever did abhor, that is, their Destruction of others, amongst whom I yet lived with a kind of shameless bashfulness.””

    St Augustine and the Pear Tree

  • “Saint Augustine admits that he lived with a fast set, as people say now -- "the Depravers" or "Destroyers"; though he loved them little, "whose actions I ever did abhor, that is, their Destruction of others, amongst whom I yet lived with a kind of shameless bashfulness.”

    Adventures Among Books

  • “There is another way, which you and your ken would abhor, that is to grant a basic respect for other humans.”

    The Register-Guard: RSS Feeds

  • “To be honest, I kind of abhor the title of "space tourist.”

    Newsweek: Fast Chat: At The Final Frontier

  • “Here, values are not to be attached to objects; instead, we should value (or "abhor") processes.”

    Biodiversity

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  • uselessness Must be why I can never seem to keep my apartment clean. Feb 22, 2007

  • seanahan nature abhors a vacuum. Feb 22, 2007

‘abhor’ has been looked up 4641 times, loved by 8 people, added to 90 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 10.