odium

noun

ˈō-dē-əm How to pronounce odium (audio)
Definition of odiumnext
as in disgrace
the state of having lost the esteem of others time did nothing to diminish the odium in which the traitor lived out his days

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of odium Pashinyan had led the movement to oust Moscow’s influence in Armenia; he was now saddled with the odium of losing Karabakh on his watch. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 By heaping odium on Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, one of several prominent opposition figures, the government gave a divided opposition a leader to unite around. — Christopher De Bellaigue, The New York Review of Books, 13 Oct. 2022 In addition, the odium among the Left is so pernicious and so ubiquitous that the surveyors themselves may pollute the very taking of polls. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 31 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for odium
  1. disgrace
  2. shame
  3. contempt
  4. opprobrium
  5. humiliation
  6. ignominy
  7. obloquy
Noun
  • Beneath the spy plots, then, is a fond portrait of a group of people held in perpetual disgrace for their shortcomings, and thus forced to find individual paths to redemption.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But Scott was mercifully lifted for Evan Phillips, who recorded the final out of the game to save the Dodgers from disgrace.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgrace
Noun
  • She is obsessed with her closet, the organization of which puts even Kim to shame.
    — Jonathan Van Meter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In a May 2023 Instagram post, Allen apologized to Gale for having an affair and acknowledged that his choices brought shame and humiliation to his family.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of shame
Noun
  • The defense attorney who asked a Louisiana judge to ban pink from the courtroom in the Madison Brooks rape case was held in contempt Monday.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The boys’ callousness quickly turned to disgust, their contempt steadily aimed at Neil.
    — S. M. Reznik, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of contempt
Noun
  • Careers made and ruined, departments torn apart, writing programs turned into sensitivity seminars, political witch hunts, public opprobrium, ignorant media attacks, the whole ball of wax.
    — Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
  • Despite Musk’s opprobrium, two-time Oscar winner Nolan’s Odyssey has been a huge box office hit globally and looks set to become the British director’s highest-grossing film.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 July 2026
Definition of opprobrium
Noun
  • The same musical inflection that voices humiliation in Waller’s song becomes an expression of delighted discovery in the Gershwins’.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In a May 2023 Instagram post, Allen apologized to Gale for having an affair and acknowledged that his choices brought shame and humiliation to his family.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of humiliation
Noun
  • And all too often, these items end up living a life of ignominy on the back of a shelf.
    — Melissa Breyer, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Resuming Sunday at 161-4, Australia added 82 runs for the session to avoid the ignominy of a home innings defeat to take a 15-run lead at the interval.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ignominy
Noun
  • Future problems Paxton’s ability to brush aside opprobrium and obloquy in Texas politics is nearly unrivaled.
    — Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 18 Sep. 2023
  • That’s a shame, because the airline’s 11 outside directors are arguably the guiltiest of the guilty parties in the company’s recent fiasco, the most deserving of obloquy.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2023
Definition of obloquy

Browse Nearby Words

odiously
odium
odiums
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Odium.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/odium. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All