CEFR B2

nefarious

adjective

Meaning

nefarious means sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics. It can have more than one sense, so use the alternate meanings and examples to choose the meaning that matches your sentence.

Examples

Aliens have a nefarious connotation in many science fiction books.
The writer described the response as nefarious.

Synonyms: evil, good-for-nothing, iniquitous, sinister, underhanded

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nefarious (B2)

adjective

Pronunciation: /nɛˈfɛəɹi.əs/

Definition

nefarious means sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics. It can have more than one sense, so use the alternate meanings and examples to choose the meaning that matches your sentence.

Examples

Aliens have a nefarious connotation in many science fiction books.
The writer described the response as nefarious.
A nefarious tone can change the mood of a conversation.

How to Use nefarious

nefarious + noun (collocation): Use nefarious before a noun to describe that quality. — "The writer described a nefarious reaction."
become nefarious (collocation): Use after become, seem, or be for a state or quality. — "The discussion became nefarious near the end."

Synonyms of nefarious

Words with a similar meaning to nefarious:

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