What does abhorrency mean?
Abhorrency is a formal, somewhat rare English noun denoting an intense feeling of loathing, hatred, or repugnance toward someone or something considered deeply offensive or morally repulsive. It functions as a variant of the far more common word abhorrence, sharing the same sense of visceral rejection — the reaction one might have to cruelty, corruption, or injustice. In use, it typically appears in elevated or literary prose, often paired with expressions of moral condemnation, as in expressing one's abhorrency of violence or deception. The word derives from the Latin verb abhorrere, meaning 'to shrink back from', which also gives us abhor, abhorrent, and ultimately connects to the root behind 'horror'. Because of its rarity, writers today usually reach for abhorrence instead; nevertheless, abhorrency remains a legitimate, if uncommon, choice when a slightly archaic or deliberately formal tone is desired.
nounA feeling of intense loathing or repugnance toward someone or something; the quality of being abhorrent.
- Intense loathing or repugnance toward a person, thing, or idea.
- The state or quality of being abhorrent; something deserving of detestation.
"She regarded the corruption scandal with undisguised abhorrency."
"The committee expressed its abhorrency of any form of discrimination in the workplace."
"His abhorrency of cruelty to animals shaped every choice he made in life."
Rarely used in the plural; the singular is strongly preferred even when referring to multiple objects of dislike, often via phrases such as 'feelings of abhorrency'.
"The memoir catalogues the author's abhorrencies with unflinching detail."
If 'abhorrence' feels too ordinary for your disgust, English quietly offers this rarer twin — same Latin root as 'horror', just a little more ornate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abhorrency
Abhorrency comes from the Latin verb abhorrēre, formed from ab- ('away from') and horrēre ('to bristle, shudder'), literally meaning 'to shrink back from in horror'. It entered English in the early modern period alongside related forms such as abhor and abhorrence, all built on the same Latin root that also yields horror and horrific through the noun horror. Over time, abhorrence became the dominant noun form, leaving abhorrency as the rarer variant.
Related word forms
How abhorrency is actually used
Formal and markedly literary in register; abhorrency is much rarer than its synonym abhorrence and may strike readers as archaic or affected. It appears most often in elevated prose and older texts.
Easily confused with abhorrency
Abhorrence is the standard, far more common noun meaning intense loathing, while abhorrency is a rarer variant carrying essentially the same meaning.