What does execrably mean?
Execrably is an adverb meaning in an extremely bad, wretched, or detestable manner. It intensifies criticism far beyond ordinary words like badly or poorly: a meal cooked execrably is not merely disappointing but offensive to the senses, and someone behaving execrably has acted in a way that invites contempt. The word derives from the Latin execrari, 'to curse', via the adjective execrable, and retains a faint echo of that older sense of something deserving to be cursed or detested. It belongs chiefly to formal and literary English, appearing most often in reviews and commentary where a writer wants to condemn a performance, translation, or piece of writing with maximum severity. Because it is uncommon and unmistakably severe, execrably lends any sentence a tone of heightened, almost theatrical disapproval, making it a useful choice when ordinary negative words feel too mild.
adverbIn an extremely bad or detestable manner; to a wretched or appalling degree.
- In an extremely bad, inferior, or detestable manner.
- To an odious or hateful degree (a less common, more literal use tied to the root sense of being cursed or detested).
"The lead actor was execrably cast, stumbling through lines that even he seemed not to believe."
"The orchestra played execrably, and half the audience left at the interval."
"He was execrably treated by the press, which seemed determined to ruin his reputation."
Execrably descends from a Latin verb meaning 'to curse' — so when you call a performance execrably bad, you are literally pronouncing a curse upon it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of execrably
Execrably derives from the Latin verb execrari (ex- 'out' + sacrare 'to make sacred'), meaning to curse or call down evil upon something, since in Roman usage one 'consecrated' a person to destruction by the gods. The past participle execratus yielded the adjective execrable, which entered English in the late 16th century; the adverb execrably followed shortly after. The same Latin root gives English execrate and execration, and more distantly connects to words such as consecrate and sacred, all built on the stem sacer, 'holy'.
Related word forms
How execrably is actually used
Formal and rather literary in register; rare in everyday conversation. It carries strong negative connotation — stronger than 'badly' — implying something is not merely poor but offensively or shockingly so.
Easily confused with execrably
Execrable is the adjective describing something utterly bad, while execrably is the adverb describing how an action is done badly.
Excruciating means intensely painful or distressing, whereas execrably describes something done in an outrageously poor manner.