abominable

英[?'b?m(?)n?b(?)l] 美[?'bɑm?n?bl]

副詞:?abominably;

abominable: abominable: [14] The Latin original of this word meant ‘shun as an evil omen’. The prefix ab- ‘away’ was added to ōmen (source of English omen) to produce the verb abōminārī. From this was created the adjective abōminābilis, which reached English via Old French. From the 14th to the 17th century there was a general misapprehension that abominable was derived from Latin ab hominem ‘away from man’, hence ‘beastly, unnatural’.

This piece of fanciful folk etymology not only perpetuated the erroneous spelling abhominable throughout this period, but also seems to have contributed significantly to making the adjective much more strongly condemnatory.
=> omen
abominable (adj.): mid-14c., from Old French abominable (12c.) and directly from Late Latin abominabilis "deserving abhorrence," from stem of Latin abominari "deplore as an evil omen" (see abomination). Sometimes misdivided in earlier centuries as a bominable. Also often abhominable 14c.-17c. Related: Abominably.

1. The President described the killings as an abominable crime.: 總統(tǒng)稱這些血案為令人發(fā)指的罪行。

2. English food can be wonderful but the normal English diet is abominable.: 英國也有美食，只是一般的日常飲食太過糟糕。

3. The judge described the attack as an abominable crime.: 法官稱那次襲擊為令人發(fā)指的罪行。

5. The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.: 這家飯館的衛(wèi)生狀況糟透了.