Nefarious
hardnuh-FAIR-ee-us
adjective
Definition
extremely wicked or villainous
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.”
Synonyms
villainousheinousiniquitousvile
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
Master nefarious and 1,000+ GRE words
Learn through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.