nefarious
pronunciation
How to pronounce nefarious in British English:
UK [nɪˈfeəriəs]
How to pronounce nefarious in American English:
US [nɪˈferiəs]
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- Adjective:
- extremely wicked
Word Origin
- nefarious
- nefarious: [16] Latin nefās ‘sin’ denoted etymologically something that was contrary to the divine law. It was a compound noun formed from the negative particle ne- and fās ‘divine law, dictates of religion’. From it was derived the adjective nefārius, source of English nefarious.
- nefarious (adj.)
- c. 1600, from Latin nefarius "wicked, abominable, impious," from nefas "crime, wrong, impiety," from ne- "not" (see un-) + fas "right, lawful, divinely spoken," related to fari "to speak," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say" (see fame (n.)). Related: Nefariously.
Example
- 1. Grabbing information from the mind doesn 't always have to be nefarious .
- 2. The eu reckons that intel 's use of such rebates was nefarious .
- 3. In recent years , american prosecutors have accused nearly every big drug firm of nefarious sales tactics .
- 4. Even today the opposition in bangladesh claims nefarious indian influence , and pakistan says its old foe is supporting separatists in the province of baluchistan .
- 5. While it is commendable to want to protect labourers in poor countries from toxic chemicals and nefarious brokers , these untold shipments raise the economic problem of resource depletion .