nefarious

adjective

ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfer-ē-əs How to pronounce nefarious (audio)
: flagrantly wicked or impious : evil
nefariously adverb

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What Is the Difference Between vicious, villainous, and nefarious?

Nefarious comes from the Latin adjective nefarius and the Latin noun nefas, which means "crime." Nefas is a combination of ne- ("not") and fas, meaning "right" or "divine law."

Choose the Right Synonym for nefarious

vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct.

vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying moral depravity, or may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence.

a vicious gangster

villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic.

a villainous assault

iniquitous implies absence of all signs of justice or fairness.

an iniquitous system of taxation

nefarious suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

the nefarious rackets of organized crime

corrupt stresses a loss of moral integrity or probity causing betrayal of principle or sworn obligations.

city hall was rife with corrupt politicians

degenerate suggests having sunk to an especially vicious or enervated condition.

a degenerate regime propped up by foreign powers

Examples of nefarious in a Sentence

Moreover, those starry-eyed states inclined to perceive international relations in moral terms frequently underestimate the nefarious machinations of their competitors on the world political stage. Richard Wolin, New Republic, 4 June 2001
… I always give the same response: Just because Frank posed for pictures with every leading capo, underboss and cement contractor of the day doesn't mean that he joined them in their nefarious underworld activities. Oh, occasionally he rode along on a hit or two, but that was just one of those social obligations … Lewis Grossberger, Time, 21 Dec. 1998
Three-tenths of a mile uphill from our mailbox on the road, that bend is so nefarious that neophytes often skidded into a snowbank or wound up fender-deep in mud there. Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987
a nefarious scheme to cheat people out of their money the chaste heroines and nefarious villains of old-time melodramas
Recent Examples on the Web Experts report that 95 percent of cybersecurity breaches are the result of human error by users who unknowingly interact with nefarious websites that expose their system to malicious code. IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2024 Behar's latest bout with technology comes amid her ongoing feud with inanimate objects, which kicked off in March 2022 when a nefarious swivel chair sent her tumbling to the ground during a live View broadcast. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nefarious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nefarious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin nefarius, from nefas crime, from ne- not + fas right, divine law; perhaps akin to Greek themis law, tithenai to place — more at do

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nefarious was circa 1609

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Dictionary Entries Near nefarious

Cite this Entry

“Nefarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nefarious. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nefarious

adjective
ne·​far·​i·​ous ni-ˈfar-ē-əs How to pronounce nefarious (audio)
-ˈfer-
: very wicked : evil
nefariously adverb
nefariousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nefarious

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