nefarious

WOTD - 23 February 2006    

English

Etymology

From Latin nefārius, from ne- (“not”) + fari (“to do”) "That which can/should not be done"

Pronunciation

ne*fa"ri*ous

• Rhymes: -ɛəriəs

Adjective

nefarious (comparative more nefarious, superlative most nefarious)

1. infamous for being wicked

   The nefarious wizard was known for burning people alive during his secret rituals.

2. wicked or criminal

   The nefarious gangster was finally brought to justice.

Synonyms

• evil
• vicious
• wicked
• See also Wikisaurus:evil

Derived terms

• nefariously
• nefariousness

Translations

infamous for being wicked

Dutch: berucht (nl),schandelijk (nl),misdadig (nl) Esperanto: skandala (eo), malfarinda (eo) French: infâme (fr),scandaleux (fr),criminel (fr) German: berüchtigt (de)

Norwegian: avskyelig (no), skjendig (no) Russian: бесчестный; нечестный, низкий; гнусный, мерзкий, подлый Swedish: skändlig (sv), gudlös (sv)

References

• Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary "nefarious"
• Dictionary.com "nefarious"