anathema

noun

ə-ˈna-thə-mə How to pronounce anathema (audio)
Definition of anathemanext
1
as in curse
a prayer that harm will come to someone uttered an anathema before driving the would-be robber from the his shop

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics is anathema to animal-rights activists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anathema Over the ensuing decades, however, advertising became something anathema to Hollywood. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 His alliance with the far-right of American politics is anathema to the over 70% of Jewish Americans who vote Democratic. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 Similarly, big money hasn’t been anathema to either the governing body or the tournament, with FIFA’s president, Joao Havelange, partnering in 1974 with Horst Dassler, the chief executive of Adidas, to transform the organisation commercially. — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 That is anathema to many of the visiting fans – and, to be very clear, the overwhelming majority of the American soccer fans who are in attendance as well. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for anathema
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anathema
  1. curse
  2. enemy
  3. hate
  4. abomination
  5. antipathy
  6. abhorrence
  7. detestation
  8. phobia
Noun
  • Depp’s character pleads for help to save her husband from his curse.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But maybe, Atlanta native and Midtown resident John Henry Hinkel suggested, Hollywood’s departure is more a blessing than a curse.
    — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Drawing on authoritarianism scholars, the piece contends that linking criticism of Trump to hostility toward America can stigmatize dissent and make opponents appear to be enemies of the country.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • One of them, journalist Tomas, goes public with the information, unleashing powerful enemies.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of enemy
Noun
  • But hate, the currency of social media clicks, is not limited to just one group.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Police said the vandalism was classified as a property crime rather than a hate offense, and the teen was released to his parents.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hate
Noun
  • What are the implications when much of humanity witnesses the same pyrotechnic abomination at the same time?
    — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • It a thematic fit, and after nearly 200 episodes, there’s no doubting this team’s ability to deliver fresh, new abominations.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of abomination
Noun
  • The other is that Republicans’ antipathy towards vote-by-mail is waning.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026
  • Alexander Kazakov | Afp | Getty Images That Russia and China are seen as ideologically aligned on many geopolitical issues, with each sharing a traditional antipathy and distrust towards the West, and Washington.
    — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 20 May 2026
Definition of antipathy
Noun
  • El-Sayed and Piker have professed their abhorrence of anti-Semitism.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.
    — Michael Bloomberg, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
Definition of abhorrence
Noun
  • How Nelson is reformulated from one who feels desire to one who feels detestation (as well as shame for having desired) is the remarkable achievement of both the story and the storyteller and the system that requires it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
  • One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Definition of detestation
Noun
  • Several factors raise the risk, according to Cleveland Clinic, including a history of negative or traumatic experiences with needles and a family history of needle phobia.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Long before the cancer, my father, Rajeev, who was 63, avoided conventional medicine with an intensity that bordered on phobia.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of phobia

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Cite this Entry

“Anathema.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anathema. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on anathema

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about anathema

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