So, let's figure out what "odious" means. This word is used when talking about something very unpleasant or even hated. Usually, it is applied to people or phenomena that evoke a lot of negative emotions. For example, you can imagine a politician who often gets into scandals and cannot find common ground with anyone — that’s when they might be called "odious".
Odious is an adjective that means causing sharp rejection, disgust, or hostility, often due to a questionable reputation, scandalous behavior, or unlikability.
The word is most often used in a political, social, or journalistic context when one wants to emphasize a negative attitude towards a person or phenomenon.
Not to be confused with:
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Scandalous — has a broader meaning, sometimes neutral.
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Controversial — can have both negative and positive assessments.
Odious is almost always a negative characteristic.
Closest synonyms:
- disgusting
- hateful
- ominous
- scandalous
- shameful
- intolerable
- repulsive
- infamous