Abhored

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To feel an overwhelming sense of dislike or repulsion directed at a person or idea, often associated with feelings of disdain and disgust
2. To experience intense aversion and loathing towards a person, behavior, or concept, often leading to a strong emotional response of disgust
3. To hold a deep, intense feeling of disgust or hatred toward someone or something

Etymology: "Abhored" is not an accepted English word; it is a misspelling of "abhorred," the past tense and past participle of "abhor." The spelling error is understandable, since the "-ed" ending is added to a verb ending in "r" in the same way as in "adored" or "explored," and writers often forget the doubled "r" that marks the form. The verb "abhor" comes from Latin "abhorrere," meaning to shrink back from or shudder at something, built from "ab," meaning "away from," and "horrere," meaning to bristle or stand on end. The image is physical: a person recoiling with hair standing up in fear or revulsion. That same root gives English "horror" and "horrid," so the emotional sense of strong dislike grew out of a bodily reaction of shrinking away.

Synonyms: detested, loathed, hated

Antonyms: loved, admired, cherished