abhor

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 1, 2024 is: abhor \ub-HOR\ verb Abhor is synonymous with [loathe](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loathe). Something or someone who is abhorred is regarded with extreme disgust or hatred. // Mariah is an animal rights activist who abhors any and all mistreatment of animals. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abhor) Examples: "While Anne's embarrassed by the slightest bit of conflict, disruptive Jenny abhors obedience—she's a roll of Mentos dropped into her sister's placid Diet Coke life." — Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Nov. 2023 Did you know? Those who [shudder to think](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shudder-to-think) about having to clean dirty carpets might fairly be said to abhor a [vacuum](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacuum). Nature is often said to abhor a vacuum as well, albeit a different one—according to [plenists](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenist), there is always some matter or material floating around ready to fill a void. Interior designers afflicted with [horror vacui](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror-vacui) abhor vacuums as well, being unable to tolerate empty spaces in artistic designs. In each of these cases, abhor implies strong feelings of disgust and aversion, a degree of distaste embedded in the word's history: the word's Latin source, the verb abhorrēre, comes from the prefix ab- ("from, away") and the verb horrēre ("to bristle, shiver, or shudder"). Horrēre is also the source of the English words [horror](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror), [horrify](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrify), and [horrible](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrible).