French word

abominable

Pronunciation

IPA/abominabl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveterrible

Example

Ce film est abominable.

This film is terrible.

Illustration for abominable (terrible)

More examples

Ce repas était abominable.

This meal was terrible.

Core concept

A revolting or shocking thing that provokes strong disgust or moral outrage.

Common phrases

  • un crime abominable

    an atrocious crime

  • un repas abominable

    a terrible meal

  • une histoire abominable

    a terrible story

Similar words

détestable: Strongly disliked and regarded as intolerable.
horrible: So unpleasant or frightening that it causes horror.
terrible: Extremely bad and likely to cause serious problems.

Definition in French

Désigne ce qui est extrêmement mauvais ou révoltant, au point de susciter du dégoût ou de l'indignation.

Word origin

French abominable comes from Latin abominabilis, from abominari, 'to shun as an ill omen', and it developed into a word for what is detestable.

Usage tips

  • Abominable often signals moral disgust or strong emotional condemnation, while affreux or nul can better describe a merely poor film.

Other meanings

  • disgustingadjective
  • detestableadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word