execration means an act or instance of cursing; a curse dictated by violent feelings of hatred; an imprecation; an expression of utter detestation. It carries an Arena rating of 1676, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, execration ranks #500 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #663 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,985 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #2,246 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
execration is pronounced /ɛksɪˈkɹeɪʃən/.
Why “execration” is a great word
Execration is the vehement act of cursing or denouncing, or the object of such loathing. From the Latin execrātiō, execrātiōnem, from execrārī ("to curse, detest"). Unlike denunciation, a formal public condemnation of actions, or anathema, a solemn ecclesiastical curse of banishment, execration is a raw expulsion of hatred. It is the guttural oath ripped from a betrayed lover's throat, the furious imprecation carved into a prison wall, or the ancient name of a vanquished enemy etched onto a pot and then shattered—the human impulse to make hatred a tangible, destructive force, spoken into the silent, listening air.
Etymology
From Latin execrātiō.
noun
- An act or instance of cursing; a curse dictated by violent feelings of hatred; an imprecation; an expression of utter detestation.
- That which is execrated; a detested thing.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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