English

Verb

abhor ‎(third-person singular simple present abhors, present participle abhorring, simple past and past participle abhorred)

1. (transitive) To regard with horror or detestation; to shrink back with shuddering from; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]^[2]
   • 1611, Romans 12:9, King James Bible:

     Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

2. (transitive, obsolete, impersonal) To fill with horror or disgust. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the early 17^th century.]^[2]
   • c. 1604 William Shakespeare, Othello, act 4, scene 1:

     It does abhor me now I speak the word.

3. (transitive) To turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.
4. (transitive, canon law, obsolete) To protest against; to reject solemnly.
   • c. 1613 William Shakespeare, Henry VIII, act 2, scene 4:

     I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul Refuse you for my judge.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; construed with from. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the mid 17^th century.]^[2]
   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Udall to this entry?):

     To abhor from those vices.

   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?):

     Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law.

6. (intransitive, obsolete) Differ entirely from. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the late 17^th century.]^[2]

Conjugation

Synonyms

• hate
• detest
• loathe
• abominate
• See also Wikisaurus:hate

Related terms

Translations

References

• abhor in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• abhor in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

1. ↑ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 2
2. 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 4