English

abominable

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

Frequency

20k
Pronounced as (IPA)
/əˈbɑm.ə.nə.bl̩/
Etymology

Inherited from Middle English
abhomynable
In summary

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.")

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