abhor

First attested in 1449, from Middle English abhorren, borrowed from Middle French abhorrer, from Latin abhorreō (“shrink away from in horror”), from ab- (“from”) +‎ horreō (“stand aghast, bristle with fear”).[1]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əbˈhɔː(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /æbˈhɔɹ/, /əbˈhɔɹ/

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

abhor (third-person singular simple present abhors, present participle abhorring, simple past and past participle abhorred)

1. (transitive) To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][2]

   Synonyms: detest, disdain, loathe

   I absolutely abhor being stuck in traffic jams

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:9:

     abhorre that which is euill, cleaue to that which is good.

2. (transitive, obsolete, impersonal) To fill with horror or disgust. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the early 17^th century.][2]
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     It does abhor me now I speak the word.

3. (transitive) To turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.
4. (transitive, canon law, obsolete) To protest against; to reject solemnly.
   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare; [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

     I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul Refuse you for my judge.

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To feel horror, disgust, or dislike (towards); to be contrary or averse (to); construed with from. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the mid 17^th century.][2]
   • 1531, Thomas Elyot, Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC:

     the daunce were to their honour and memorie, whiche moste of all abhored from Christes religion

   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter 7, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book II:

     Either then the law by harmless and needful dispenses, which the gospel is now made to deny, must have anticipated and exceeded the grace of the gospel, or else must be found to have given politic and superficial graces without real pardon, saying in general, “do this and live,” and yet deceiving and damning underhand with unsound and hollow permissions; which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law, as hath been shewed.

6. (intransitive, obsolete) Differ entirely from. [Attested from the mid 16^th century until the late 17^th century.][2]

• (to regard as horrifying or detestable): See Thesaurus:hate

• abhor in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “abhor”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

• Bohra, Borah, broha