Abhorring

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /æbˈhɔɹ.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Experiencing a strong feeling of repulsion or hatred toward something
2. Showing or having an intense dislike or detestation for a person, action, or idea
3. Displaying extreme aversion or loathing for something considered offensive or unpleasant

Etymology: "Abhorring" is simply the present participle of "abhor," so its history is that of the verb. "Abhor" came into English from Latin "abhorrere," meaning to shrink back from, shudder at, or recoil, built from "ab," away from, and "horrere," to bristle or stand on end. The image is physical: a person bristling and drawing back from something repellent. The original sense carried that bodily recoil. Latin "horrere" also gave English "horrible" and "horror," and the same bristling imagery sits behind the hair-raising sense of those words. Over time "abhor" moved from a physical shrinking away toward a strong moral or emotional revulsion, which is how "abhorring" is used today.

Synonyms: detesting, loathing, hating

Antonyms: loving, liking, admiring