verb

abhor

uhb-HAW

verb

To hate or detest something intensely; to regard it with disgust.

"She abhors cruelty to animals in any form."

"Most people abhor violence, at least in principle."

How to Use Abhor

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo hate something so strongly that it disgusts you.

When to use it

Formal — stronger and more literary than "hate" or "dislike."

Common pairings

abhor violence abhor injustice utterly abhor

Word Forms

abhorred past tense, abhor plural, abhorred plural, abhors singular, abhor singular, abhorred singular, abhorrest singular, abhorredst singular, abhorreth singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She _____ cruelty to animals in any form.

Etymology

From Latin abhorrere, "to shrink back in horror," from ab- ("away from") + horrere ("to bristle, be terrified") — the same root as "horror" and "horrify."