What does abhorrence mean?
Abhorrence is a noun denoting a powerful feeling of disgust, hatred, or loathing toward a person, action, idea, or thing. When someone regards an act with abhorrence, they find it not merely unpleasant but morally repugnant — something to be rejected outright. The word typically appears in serious or formal writing, especially discussions of ethics, crime, injustice, or behaviour considered deeply offensive, and it frequently occurs in phrases like 'expressed abhorrence' or 'viewed with abhorrence'. Less commonly, abhorrence can denote the thing itself that inspires such revulsion. Derived from the Latin verb 'abhorrere', meaning 'to shrink back from' or 'to shudder at', the word carries an image of recoiling physically from what one cannot tolerate. Related forms include the adjective 'abhorrent' and the verb 'abhor'. Because it signals the strongest degree of disapproval, abhorrence should be reserved for genuine moral outrage rather than mild dislike, where weaker words such as distaste or aversion are more appropriate.
A feeling of intense loathing, disgust, or hatred directed at someone or something.
"She spoke of the regime's atrocities with unconcealed abhorrence."
Usually followed by 'of', 'for', or 'at' to specify the object of the feeling.
Something that arouses such intense disgust; an object of loathing.
"To his family, gambling had always been an abhorrence."
Rarely used; the plural appears occasionally when referring to multiple distinct objects of loathing, but the singular is strongly preferred in most contexts.
"The report catalogued the various abhorrences committed during the conflict."
Abhorrence comes from Latin roots meaning 'to shrink back from' — literally to bristle away in horror.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abhorrence
Abhorrence derives from the Latin verb 'abhorrere', formed from 'ab-' ('away from') plus 'horrere' ('to shudder, bristle'), so the original sense was literally to shrink back or recoil in horror. The word entered English in the mid-17th century, initially describing physical recoil before settling into its modern figurative sense of intense moral disgust. It shares this root with 'abhorrent', 'abhor', and ultimately with 'horror' itself, all tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European base relating to shuddering or bristling.
Related word forms
How abhorrence is actually used
Formal and literary register; common in moral or ethical contexts. Often used with 'of' or 'for' to indicate the target of the feeling.
Easily confused with abhorrence
Adherence means sticking or attaching to something (often rules or beliefs), whereas abhorrence is intense disgust or hatred.
Aberrance refers to deviation from what is normal or expected, while abhorrence is a strong feeling of repulsion.