nefarious

Definition

Wicked, evil, or intended to cause harm; describing something morally very wrong.

Etymology

From Latin 'nefarius,' composed of 'ne-' (not) and 'fas' (divine law or right), literally meaning 'against divine law.' It entered English in the 16th century.

Learn this word in a 5-minute lesson

Hook, Story, Wonder, Action, Wisdom — one word at a time.

Start Today's Lesson — Free

No account required. 365 lessons across 19 languages.

Translations (30 languages)

Try another word →

For Developers

Access this word programmatically via the Word Orb API. Free tier: 10,000 calls/day, no credit card.

curl https://api.wordorb.ai/api/word/nefarious View API Pricing →