Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ABOMINATION
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pronounce
ABOMINATION:
Say it "uh BOM un NAY shun."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Henry Newman, the journalist who coined the term "Abominable Snowman" in 1921, was attempting to translate it from Tibetan into English. He didn't get it quite right.
He wrote: "Later, I was told by a Tibetan expert that I had not quite got the force of the word metoh. It did not mean 'abominable' quite so much as 'filthy' and 'disgusting', somebody dressed in rags."
So apparently the Abominable should have been a bit less feared and a bit more caked in mud.
When you look closely at the words abominable and abomination, you can almost see the word omen inside them. And in fact, an abomination in its most literal sense is "something hated and feared, like a bad omen."
See if you can recall a related word. It means "revealing a bad omen," or more loosely, "creepy, spooky, or sinister in a way that seems to suggest that something bad will happen." It's o____us.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "abomination" traces to the Latin abominari, meaning "to shun (something) because it seems like a bad omen." This abominari has bits that literally mean "to (hold) the omen off or away."
In English, "abomination" first meant "a feeling of hateful disgust." We might still use it that way today: "My seven-year-old holds in abomination all foods with chunks or fibers."
More commonly, though, an abomination is anything terrible, wicked, hateful, and/or disgusting.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "It's an abomination;" "He rages about pop music's many abominations."
Other forms:
The plural is "abominations."
You can abominate things (hate them deeply): "I don't get why she abominates all canned veggies." The other verb forms are "abominated" and "abominating."
The adjective is "abominable," which is hard to use seriously today because it reminds us of the Abominable Snowmonster, who turns out to be pretty cute, snuggly, and eager to help decorate the tree. Hardly an abomination.
Nevertheless, feel free to use "abominable" and its adverb, "abominably."
And, there's a noun for the quality: "abominableness." The slightly less ugly "abombinability" doesn't appear in dictionaries, but feel free to use it anyway.
how to use it:
"Abomination" is a semi-common, formal, highly emphatic word.
We often apply it to things that are offensive and hideous in an unnatural, unholy, immoral way.
Although we often use it seriously ("Slavery is an abomination"), it's also great for exaggeration: "My natural hair may be frizzy, but it's not exactly an abomination unto the Lord;" "I implore you not to ever buy 'cooking wine,' which is a salt-bomb abomination of a product (Salon)."
examples:
"Lest you forget you are an abomination, here's an old woman who'll wail at the sight of you."
— Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer, 2017
"She knows his tastes, his desires and reprehensions – 'beans he abominates' – and follows his progress, his growth in years and learning, with an almost maternal eye."
— John Banville, quoting Ann Wroe, The Guardian, 29 July 2011
has this page helped you understand "abomination"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "abomination" without saying "something deeply hated" or "anathema."
try it out:
Let's use this word to exaggerate.
Fill in the blanks: "I don't mind _____ in general, but _____ is an abomination."
Example: "I don't mind high-waisted pants in general, but these camouflage-print ones are an abomination."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Serious Words, Silliest Names."
Match each word to the silly name it evokes. For example, match "pecuniary" to Owen Cash, "hoodwink" to Howie Cheatham, and "debacle" to Oliver Sutton.
To see the answers, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!
Try these today:
GOURMAND: _____
GREENHORN: _____
NUANCED: _____
PERSPICACIOUS: _____
SOPORIFIC: _____
Anna Prentice
Bess Eaton
C. Wright
Constance Noring
Tad Moore
review this word:
A. CUTE.
B. SACRED.
C. IMMACULATE.
2.
As the movie begins, Melvin behaves abominably: he _____.
A. brings his own plasticware to a restaurant
B. yells at strangers and chucks his neighbor's small dog into the garbage chute
C. learns that his waitress's young son is sick, then pays for an excellent doctor to tend him at home
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Henry Newman, the journalist who coined the term "Abominable Snowman" in 1921, was attempting to translate it from Tibetan into English. He didn't get it quite right.
The word "abomination" traces to the Latin abominari, meaning "to shun (something) because it seems like a bad omen." This abominari has bits that literally mean "to (hold) the omen off or away."
Part of speech:
"Abomination" is a semi-common, formal, highly emphatic word.
"Lest you forget you are an abomination, here's an old woman who'll wail at the sight of you."
Explain the meaning of "abomination" without saying "something deeply hated" or "anathema."
Let's use this word to exaggerate.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |