abhor
/æbˈhɔɹ/verb
abhor is spelled A-B-H-O-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, abhor means “To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in abhor?
| Letters | 5: A-B-H-O-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is abhor?
Abhor appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce abhor?
- UK /əbˈhɔː/
- UK /əbˈɔː/
- US /æbˈhɔɹ/
Abhor has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-abhor.ogg, En-au-abhor.ogg, En-us-abhor.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with abhor?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as abhor from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of abhor
- abhors present, singular, he/she/it
- abhorring participle, present
- abhorred participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does abhor mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward.
I absolutely abhor being stuck in traffic jams.
- 2
obsoleteTo fill with horror or disgust.
- 3
To turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.
- 4
obsoleteTo protest against; to reject solemnly.
- 5
obsoleteTo feel horror, disgust, or dislike (towards); to be contrary or averse (to); construed with from.
- 6
obsoleteDiffer entirely from.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Abhor in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to regard with horror or detestation:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | avoir horreur de, abhorrer |
| German | verabscheuen, abhorrieren |
| Portuguese | abominar, detestar |
| Spanish | aborrecer, aborrir |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does abhor come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).