omen +

(Latin: foreboding; augury; anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend or to indicate that something is going to happen which may be a good or an evil event or circumstance in the future)

abominable (adjective)
1. Loathsome, extremely repugnant, or offensive: "Murder is certainly the most abominable crime in existence."

"Nathan had the abominable habit of chewing his fingernails in public."

2. Extremely unpleasant or of very bad quality, or very unpleasant to experience: "The abominable food that was served in that restaurant tasted terrible and you can be sure that we will never go there again."
3. A bad omen; nasty and disgusting; vile; loathsome: "The flood included abominable sewerage that was flowing into the basements and ground-floor rooms of the houses."
Word History

Between the 14th and the 17th centuries, abominable was often spelled abhominable, because of a widely held belief that it was derived from Latin ab hominem; literally, "away from humankind", therefore "unnatural, beastly". Shakespeare puns on this sense when Hamlet speaks of incompetent actors who "imitate humanity abominably."

—Compiled from information located in the
Encarta World English Dictionary; St. Martins Press;
New York; 1999; page 4.
abominate (verb), abominates; abominated; abominating
1. To dislike, to find repugnant, and to intensely disapprove of someone or something: "Georgia abominates the smell of strong perfume in a small room."

"Allen has always abominated loud music and could not be tempted to attend a rock concert in the local park."

2. To detest thoroughly; to abhor: "There is nothing that abominates Nellie more than the thought of eating raw meat."

"The crowd will be abominating the imposition of an early curfew by the local authorities."


Word History

For the ancient Romans, an omen was a sign from the gods or a promise of good or a warning of evil.

Naturally, they turned away in fear from an evil omen. To express this aversion, they combined ab, "away" plus omen, "a foreboding", into the verb abominari, meaning "to deprecate as ominous", "to abhor"; with a past participle abominatus, the source of English abominate. The word has largely lost its original connotation of dread and has come to mean "to loathe", "to despise".

—Compiled from information located in the
Picturesque Word Origins; G. & C. Merriam Company;
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A; 1933; page 5.
abominator (s) (noun), abominators (pl)
1. Someone who intensely hates or loathes: "The protest march against the building of a new prison was lead by a well known abominator."
2. People who thoroughly detest or abhor other people, things, systems, etc.: "An experienced team of abominators meet every month to plan protests and rallies against the laws protecting civic inequality."
ill-omened
1. A bad or an evil omen.
2. Having unlucky omens; inauspicious.
3. Marked by or promising bad fortune.
omen (s), omens (pl)
1. Anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; a portent.
2. A prognostic or foreboding.
3. A prophetic significance; presage: "He saw a bird of ill omen or an unfavorable sign of what was about to happen."
omened
To be a prophetic sign of; portended.
ominous
1. Portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: "She saw an ominous bank of dark clouds."
2. Having the significance of an omen.
ominously
In an ominous manner.
ominousness
1. Presaging ill-fortune: "A dead and ominous silence prevailed."
2. Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.

Cross references of word families that are related directly, or indirectly, to: "divination, diviner; seer, soothsayer, prophecy, prophesy, prophet": augur-; auspic-; fa-, fate; Fates in action; futur-; -mancy; -phemia; sorc-, sorcery; vati-.