# abominable

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/ · frequency rank #34,763

## Definitions
1. Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.
2. Excessive, large (used as an intensifier).
3. Very bad or inferior.
4. Disagreeable or unpleasant.

## Etymology
From Middle English abhomynable, from Old French abominable, from Late Latin abōminābilis (“deserving abhorrence”), from abōminor (“abhor, deprecate as an ill omen”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ōminor (“forebode, predict, presage”), from ōmen (“sign, token, omen”). Formerly erroneously folk-etymologized as deriving from Latin ab- + homo, literally "away from humankind," and therefore spelled abhominable, abhominal (Hence, Shakespeare puns on this when Hamlet speaks of incompetent actors that "imitate humanity abominably.")

## Common misspellings (15)
`abbominable`, `abmoinable`, `aboimnable`, `abomianble`, `abominabble`, `abominabel`, `abominablle`, `abominalbe`, `abominbale`, `abominible`, `abominnable`, `abomminable`, `abomniable`, `aobminable`, `baominable`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/abominable