adjective

execrable

EK-sih-kruh-bul/ˈeksɪkrəbl/

Extremely bad or deserving strong disgust.

Dumping oily sludge into the clean stream is execrable conduct.

An industrial drain dumps foul oily sludge into a clean stream, dead vegetation at outlet makes extremely bad conduct/result clear, no dead animals or words.

Etymology

exLatinout, away

+ecrLatinto devote, dedicate

+ableLatinworthy of, capable of being

The underlying image is to devote something away—to curse it. Something execrable was therefore deserving of curses, which gives the adjective its force of extreme badness or disgust.

In context

US National Archives15:28

suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce.

A Virtual Journey of the Declaration of Independence: Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five

More examples

Execrable acting makes the movie almost impossible to enjoy.
The report exposes the company's execrable treatment of its workers.
Her essay offers sound arguments in execrable prose.

Forms

execrable

execrably adverb — In an extremely bad or disgusting manner.

Similar words

abysmal: Emphasizes extremely low quality rather than disgust or hatred.
detestable: Focuses on deserving hatred, not simply being poorly done.