Synonyms for nefarious
nɪˈfɛər i əsne·far·i·ous

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:1.0 / 2 votes

1. nefariousadjective

   Synonyms:
   vicious, wicked, evil

2. nefariousadjective

   infamous for being wicked

   The nefarious wizard was known for burning people alive during his secret rituals.

   Synonyms:
   wicked, evil, vicious

3. nefariousadjective

   wicked or criminal

   The nefarious gangster was finally brought to justice.

   Synonyms:
   vicious, evil, wicked

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. nefarious

   Every criminal act is illegal or unlawful, but illegal or unlawful acts may not be criminal. Offenses against public law are criminal; offenses against private rights are merely illegal or unlawful. As a general rule, all acts punishable by fine or imprisonment or both, are criminal in view of the law. It is illegal for a man to trespass on another's land, but it is not criminal; the trespasser is liable to a civil suit for damages, but not to indictment, fine, or imprisonment. A felonious act is a criminal act of an aggravated kind, which is punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary or by death. A flagitious crime is one that brings public odium. Vicious refers to the indulgence of evil appetites, habits, or passions; vicious acts are not necessarily criminal, or even illegal; we speak of a vicious horse. That which is iniquitous, i. e., contrary to equity, may sometimes be done under the forms of law. Ingratitude is sinful, hypocrisy is wicked, but neither is punishable by human law; hence, neither is criminal or illegal. Compare SIN.

   Synonyms:
   abominable, criminal, culpable, felonious, flagitious, guilty, illegal, immoral, iniquitous, sinful, unlawful, vicious, vile, wicked, wrong

   Antonyms:
   innocent, just, lawful, legal, meritorious, moral, right, virtuous

Princeton's WordNetRate this synonym:0.0 / 0 votes

1. nefarious, villainousadjective

   extremely wicked

   "nefarious schemes"; "a villainous plot"; "a villainous band of thieves"

   Synonyms:
   villainous

   Antonyms:
   virtuous

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. nefariousadjective

   Synonyms:
   abominable, atrocious, detestable, execrable, iniquitous, scandalous, wicked, infamous, villanous, heinous, flagitious, very wicked

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. nefariousadjective

   Synonyms:
   atrocious, flagitious, heinous

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "nefarious":

   heinous, evil, infamous, harmful, abominable, abhorrent

Suggested Resources

1. nefarious

   Song lyrics by nefarious -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by nefarious on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use nefarious in a sentence?

1. Mark Weiss:

   It's my belief that there was probably some type of struggle in the cockpit where it was one of the pilots that maybe had a meltdown or did something nefarious to the airplane.

2. Helane Becker:

   To give us guidance, they have to give us that information, it's not nefarious. It's not hidden. It is just what it is.

3. Jeh Johnson:

   I have spoken to the CEO of United, Jeff Smisek, myself. It appears from what we know at this stage that the malfunctions at United and the stock exchange were not the result of any nefarious actor, we know less about the Wall Street Journal at this point, except that their system is in fact up again.

4. Dani Bennett:

   These types of fraud pose a severe threat to homeland security and public safety because they create a vulnerability that enables criminals and other nefarious actors to gain entry and remain in the United States.

5. Alina Habba:

   The lawsuit filed today outlines the defendants’ nefarious plot to vilify Donald J. Trump by spreading lies to weave a false narrative that he was colluding with Russia, for years, Hillary Clinton and her cohorts attempted to shield themselves from culpability by directing others to do their dirty work for them.