Dictionary

nefarious en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /nɪˈfɛəɹi.əs/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• audio Queensland
• /nɪˈfeːɹi.əs/ (Australia)

Etymology

From Latin nefārius (“execrable, abominable”), from nefās (“something contrary to divine law, an impious deed, sin, crime”), from ne- (“not”) + fās (“the dictates of religion, divine law”), which is related to Latin for (“to speak, to say”) and cognate to Ancient Greek φημί (phēmí, “to say”).

Meanings

1. Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.
   • Aliens have a nefarious connotation in many science fiction books.
   • The fact that the room was still in darkness made it obvious that something nefarious was afoot. Plainly there was dirty work in preparation at the cross-roads. 1921, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 26, in The Indiscretions of Archie:
   • Mommsen […]declares that Catiline in particular was "one of the most nefarious men in that nefarious age. His villanies belong to the criminal records, not to history." 1877, Anthony Trollope, chapter 9, in The Life of Cicero:
   • “I try to let everyone back here in Minnesota know exactly the nefarious activities that are taking place in Washington.” 2009 October 14, Monica Davey, “Fact Checker Finds Falsehoods in Remarks”, in New York Times, retrieved 12 May 2014:
   • "If the vessel be no fair-trading slaver, nor a common cruiser of his Majesty, it is as tangible as the best man's reasoning, that she may be neither more nor less than the ship of that nefarious pirate the Red Rover." 1828, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 2, in The Red Rover:

Forms

Deriveds

nefariousness · unnefarious · nefariously

Synonyms

niddering · incorrigible · base · disreputable · vile · malicious · ill-natured · dark · baleful · detrimental · ill-intentioned · bad apple · villainous · infamous · nithing · heinous · nithing · flagitious · harmful · malefic · good-for-nothing · abandoned · sinful · niddering · black-hearted · immoral · scathful · sordid · malignant · iniquitous · nefarious · scurrilous · evil · demonic · iniquous · vicious · vile · peccaminous · ill-famed · evil-minded · reprehensible · knavish · notorious · injurious · evil · devilish · pernicious · depraved · sinister · nidering · underhanded · malevolent · despicable · niding · reprobate · diabolical · nidering · bad seed · sullen · deleterious · bad · facinorous · unholy · nefarious · maleficent · malign · iniquitous · wicked · naughty · ungodly · satanic · wrong · no-good · arrant · baneful · sinister

Translations (65)

nb ryggesløs (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es vicioso (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · it nefasto (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de bösartig (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fr maléfique (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · it scellerato (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru по́длый (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fi pirullinen (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · cs hanebný (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fi katala (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · uk злочинний (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es nefando (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · cs nekalý (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nl misdadig (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru нече́стный (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fi paheellinen (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · it infernale (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ro vicios (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de ruchlos (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · it sinistro (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ro păcătos (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fr infâme (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · hu gyalázatos (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ga bithiúnta (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · cs podlý (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nb ondsinnet (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fr malfaisant (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nl berucht (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · uk ниций (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · uk нечесний (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nl schandelijk (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fr malveillant (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · bg престъпен (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ro abject (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nb avskyelig (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ro infam (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es malvado (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · eo skandala (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · nb skjendig (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · it diabolico (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fr néfaste (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · sv gudlös (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · sv skändlig (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru бесче́стный (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ko 사악(邪惡)하다 (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es inicuo (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru гну́сный (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru ни́зкий (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · hu alávaló (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fi paha (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de böse (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de verachtenswert (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · fi turmeltunut (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ar شَائِن (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · ru ме́рзкий (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · pdt schentlich (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de berüchtigt (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es feo (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es infame (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · la nefārius (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · de schändlich (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · eo malfarinda (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · pt nefasto (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · es nefario (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics) · uk нечестивий (sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics)