ne·far·i·ous

(nə-fâr′ē-əs)

adj.

Infamous by way of being extremely wicked.

[Latin nefārius, from nefās, crime, transgression : ne-, not; see ne in Indo-European roots + fās, divine law; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

ne·far′i·ous·ly adv.

ne·far′i·ous·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

nefarious

(nɪˈfɛərɪəs)

adj

evil; wicked; sinful

[C17: from Latin nefārius, from nefās unlawful deed, from nē not + fās divine law]

neˈfariously adv

neˈfariousness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ne•far•i•ous

(nɪˈfɛər i əs)

adj.

extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.

[1595–1605; < Latin nefārius wicked, vile, adj. derivative of nefās offense against divine law =ne- negative prefix + fās divine law]

ne•far′i•ous•ly, adv.

ne•far′i•ous•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

nefarious - extremely wicked; "nefarious schemes"; "a villainous plot"; "a villainous band of thieves"

villainous

wicked - morally bad in principle or practice

nefarious

adjective wicked, base, criminal, evil, foul, horrible, dreadful, vicious, monstrous, shameful, vile, atrocious, sinful, heinous, depraved, odious, abominable, infernal, villainous, iniquitous, execrable, detestable, opprobrious He was said to have committed other acts too nefarious to contemplate.
good, just, noble, upright, admirable, honourable, honest, virtuous, praiseworthy

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

nefarious

adjective

So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation:

abhorrent, abominable, antipathetic, contemptible, despicable, despisable, detestable, disgusting, filthy, foul, infamous, loathsome, lousy, low, mean, nasty, obnoxious, odious, repugnant, rotten, shabby, vile, wretched.

Translations

malvagio nefasto

nefarious

[nɪˈfɛərɪəs] ADJ → nefario, vil, inicuo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

nefarious

adj (form) → schändlich, ruchlos (liter); nefarious deed → Freveltat f (liter), → ruchlose Tat

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

nefarious

[nɪˈfɛərɪəs] adj (liter) → scellerato/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

And now, thus unexpectedly, I found myself joining the nefarious conspiracy.

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Less figuratively speaking, he came up into the printing-office to expose from the book the nefarious plagiarism of an editor in a neighboring city, who had adapted with the change of names and a word or two here and there, whole passages from the essay on Barere, to the denunciation of a brother editor.

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These methods are when, either by some wicked or nefarious ways, one ascends to the principality, or when by the favour of his fellow-citizens a private person becomes the prince of his country.

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He further informed Captain Bonneville that the competition between the Rocky Mountain and American Fur Companies which had led to such nefarious stratagems and deadly feuds, was at an end; they having divided the country between them, allotting boundaries within which each was to trade and hunt, so as not to interfere with the other.

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Hunt and his associates to the perfidious instigations of Rose the interpreter, whom they suspected of the desire to foment ill-will between them and the savages, for the promotion of his nefarious plans.

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Desolate, however, as it was, this was the apartment of the castle which had been judged most fitting for the accommodation of the Saxon heiress; and here she was left to meditate upon her fate, until the actors in this nefarious drama had arranged the several parts which each of them was to perform.

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What if the Big Bwana, as the head-man called him, had surprised "Hanson" in his nefarious work.

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Had he found Dian the Beautiful, his half-savage mate, safe among his friends, or had Hooja the Sly One succeeded in his nefarious schemes to abduct her?

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I crept close, feeling unspeakably mean; I got my Turkish penny ready, and was extending a trembling hand to make the nefarious exchange, when I heard a cough behind me.

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We therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in us by Almighty God do command that you cease these nefarious practices-

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He wished that the girl spoke English and then it occurred to him that as he had seen her in disguise in the British camp carrying on her nefarious work as a German spy, she probably did speak English and so he asked her.

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Twemlow had first known Veneering at his club, where Veneering then knew nobody but the man who made them known to one another, who seemed to be the most intimate friend he had in the world, and whom he had known two days--the bond of union between their souls, the nefarious conduct of the committee respecting the cookery of a fillet of veal, having been accidentally cemented at that date.

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