Nefarious
hardNegative tonenuh-FAIR-ee-us
adjective
Definition
extremely wicked or villainous
Memory hook
NEFARIOUS: a villain named NEF is FURIOUS and hatching evil, wicked plans in his lair — pure nefarious mischief.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The detective uncovered a nefarious plot to poison the city's water supply.”
“Behind his charming exterior lay a man capable of the most nefarious schemes.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The detective uncovered a ______ plot to poison the city's water supply.”
Show answer
nefarious
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Nefarious is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "villainous" or "heinous" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "virtuous".
Related GRE Words
approbation
official or warm approval and praise
capitulate
To surrender or give in, often after resisting
conciliatory
intended to placate or win goodwill; appeasing
deprecate
to express strong disapproval of; to belittle
egregious
conspicuously and outrageously bad
felicitous
well-chosen and apt; pleasingly suitable
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