nefarious — extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous
Pronunciation (IPA): /nɪˈferiəs/
Example Sentences
- The villain's nefarious plan to replace all coffee with decaf was truly diabolical.
- Corporate executives were involved in nefarious activities to manipulate stock prices.
- His nefarious scheme to skip work by faking his own alien abduction backfired spectacularly.
nefarious
ADJECTIVE[/nɪˈferiəs/]
extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous
The nefarious sorcerer poisons the kingdom's well under the cover of night.
NE(never) + FARI(fair) — the villain's game was NEver FARI, as he used hidden cards to commit a nefarious cheat.
The clown's juggling trick was absolutely hilarious, completely distracting the crowd from his nefarious plan to steal the gold.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'nefarius' meaning 'impious' or 'abominable,' derived from 'nefas' (crime, sacrilege) which combines 'ne-' (not) and 'fas' (divine law or right).
Breakdown
ne- (not) + fas (divine law) + -arius (adjective suffix) = nefarious (against divine law; wicked)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The villain's nefarious plan to replace all coffee with decaf was truly diabolical.”
“Corporate executives were involved in nefarious activities to manipulate stock prices.”
“His nefarious scheme to skip work by faking his own alien abduction backfired spectacularly.”
“The detective uncovered a nefarious conspiracy involving money laundering and fraud.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.