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. Di Liberto:

   The question is simply what is going on — and if there’s nothing nefarious, then let us know, it’s so ludicrous that you can have something as simple as Tylenol saying where it’s from, then something the complete opposite with no answers.

2. Lee Merritt:

   There was nothing nefarious or illegal about owning a firearm, and they presented in no way that that firearm was contributory to toward the use of deadly force here.

3. Michael Kratsios:

   If political leaders at the state and local level better understood the magnitude of the risk and the fact that they were essentially doing things that didn't necessarily comply with the federal ban, my suspicion is that more action would be taken to stop this stuff, i don't think anyone is trying to do anything bad here. I don't think anyone is being nefarious.

4. Leatrice Eiseman:

   How we see colors in nature has such an important effect on the human psyche, and we know that from the beginning of time, black is the color of night, and it's the color that could hide any nefarious deeds that might be perpetrated under the cover of darkness.

5. Stephen Goldstein:

   From a scientific standpoint, I don’t think they point to anything nefarious.