Meaning & use
abhor
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Meaning
verbtransitiveformal
To hate or feel strong disgust toward something because it seems morally wrong or deeply unpleasant.
Grammar: Takes a direct object: abhor cruelty; use a noun or -ing form, not abhor to do.
Patterns
- abhor something
- abhor doing something
- abhor the thought of something
- be widely abhorred
Many people abhor cruelty to animals.
She said she abhorred lying in any professional setting.
The practice was widely abhorred and finally banned.
Word forms
| third person singular | abhors |
|---|---|
| past tense | abhorred |
| past participle | abhorred |
| -ing form | abhorring |
Common combinations
- abhor cruelty
- The charity’s founders made clear that they abhor cruelty in all its forms.
- abhor violence
- He said he could respect debate but abhor violence.
- abhor doing something
- I abhor wasting food when so many people are hungry.
- be widely abhorred
- Corruption was widely abhorred by voters in the district.
Synonyms and how they differ
- detest
- Detest expresses strong dislike and is slightly less formal or moralizing than abhor.
- loathe
- Loathe can include physical disgust and personal aversion, while abhor often points to moral wrong.
- despise
- Despise stresses looking down on someone or something as worthless, not only feeling disgust.
- hate
- Hate is the everyday general word; abhor is stronger, more formal, and usually about principles or evil.
Opposites
Word family
- abhorrence noun
- A strong feeling of hatred or disgust toward something wrong.
- abhorrent adjective
- Causing strong moral disgust; hateful.
Commonly confused: abhor or abhorrent?
abhor vs abhorrent
Abhorrent is the adjective meaning disgusting or hateful; abhor is the verb meaning to feel that disgust.
Practice
Which sentence uses “abhor” correctly and naturally?
Choose one answer.
Abhor takes a direct noun or -ing form, so “abhor wasting” is correct. It is not followed by “to,” does not take “at,” and is not a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abhor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.