English Explanatory Dictionary

nefarious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.

Pronunciation

/nɪˈfɛəɹi.əs/ /nɪˈfeːɹi.əs/ en-au-nefarious.ogg

Word forms

nefarious more nefarious most nefarious

Etymology

From Latin nefārius (“execrable, abominable”), from nefās (“something contrary to divine law, an impious deed, sin, crime”), from ne- (“not”) + fās (“the dictates of religion, divine law”), which is related to Latin for (“to speak, to say”) and cognate to Ancient Greek φημί (phēmí, “to say”).

Synonyms

evil iniquitous sinister underhanded vile good-for-nothing abandoned arrant bad bad apple bad seed baleful scurrilous baneful base black-hearted dark deleterious demonic depraved despicable detrimental devilish diabolical evil-minded facinorous flagitious harmful heinous ill-intentioned ill-natured immoral incorrigible iniquous injurious knavish malefic maleficent malevolent malicious malign malignant naughty nefarious niddering nidering niding nithing no-good peccaminous pernicious reprehensible reprobate satanic scathful sinful sordid sullen ungodly unholy

Derived words

nefariously nefariousness unnefarious
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