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nefarious

adjective
ne·​far·​i·​ous | \ ni-ˈfer-Ä“-É™s How to pronounce nefarious (audio) \

Definition of nefarious

: flagrantly wicked or impious : evil
Other Words from nefarious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym What Is the Difference Between vicious, villainous, and nefarious? Example Sentences Learn More about nefarious

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Other Words from nefarious

nefariously adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for nefarious

vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct. vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence. a vicious gangster villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic. a villainous assault iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness. an iniquitous system of taxation nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct. the nefarious rackets of organized crime corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations. city hall was rife with corrupt politicians degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition. a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

What Is the Difference Between vicious, villainous, and nefarious?

Vicious and villainous are two wicked synonyms of nefarious, and, like nefarious, both mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct." But these synonyms are not used in exactly the same way in all situations. Vicious may imply moral depravity or it may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence. Villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic, while nefarious (which derives from the Latin noun nefas, meaning "crime") suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

Examples of nefarious in a Sentence

Moreover, those starry-eyed states inclined to perceive international relations in moral terms frequently underestimate the nefarious machinations of their competitors on the world political stage. — Richard Wolin, New Republic, 4 June 2001 … I always give the same response: Just because Frank posed for pictures with every leading capo, underboss and cement contractor of the day doesn't mean that he joined them in their nefarious underworld activities. Oh, occasionally he rode along on a hit or two, but that was just one of those social obligations … — Lewis Grossberger, Time, 21 Dec. 1998 Three-tenths of a mile uphill from our mailbox on the road, that bend is so nefarious that neophytes often skidded into a snowbank or wound up fender-deep in mud there. — Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987 a nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas
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Recent Examples on the Web

 There are many unknowns about how nefarious actors may try to suppress the count by introducing doubt about the confidentiality of the census and how data is used. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "Advocates push Census Bureau to prepare for security breaches, disinformation ahead of 2020 count," 28 Aug. 2019 While exhumations were not all carried out in the same manner, the general idea was to dig up the corpse to stop its nefarious activity. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "New England ‘Vampire’ Was Likely a Farmer Named John," 5 Aug. 2019 The dark web is the world of the criminal underground, where data is bought and sold by criminal actors—including nation states—and used to fund nefarious activities. — Kristina Libby, Popular Mechanics, "The Capital One Hack Probably Put Your Data on the Dark Web," 30 July 2019 The Democrat now wants the FBI to assess whether the personal data of FaceApp users is being used by the Russian government or entities with ties to the Kremlin for potential nefarious activities. — Emily Tillett, CBS News, "Chuck Schumer urges FBI to investigate "troubling" FaceApp," 18 July 2019 Critics, including politicians and advocacy groups, say that A.I. is widely biased against people of color and argue that in the wrong hands it could be used for nefarious activities. — Fortune, "A.I. Uses Expected to Expand as U.S. Consumers Warm Up to Trading Data for Convenience," 16 July 2019 That's the eco system that allows this type of nefarious activity to occur in an administration. — Fox News, "Kavanaugh: I never sexually assaulted anyone," 24 Sep. 2018 There, inmates die all too often, not from some nefarious scheme, but of neglect — intentional and otherwise. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "Prison deaths require no dark conspiracy," 14 Aug. 2019 Another Boston-area team is accused of using nefarious spy methods to get ahead: the Barrington, R.I. Little League baseball team. — Dennis Young, courant.com, "New Hampshire Little League team accuses Rhode Island of stealing signs while playing regional in Connecticut," 14 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nefarious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of nefarious

circa 1609, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for nefarious

Latin nefarius, from nefas crime, from ne- not + fas right, divine law; perhaps akin to Greek themis law, tithenai to place — more at do

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More Definitions for nefarious

nefarious

adjective
How to pronounce nefarious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of nefarious

formal : evil or immoral

See the full definition for nefarious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on nefarious

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with nefarious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nefarious

Spanish Central: Translation of nefarious

Nglish: Translation of nefarious for Spanish Speakers

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