different between underhand vs nefarious

English

Etymology

under +? hand

Pronunciation

• enPR: ?n?d?(r)-(h)?nd', IPA^(key): /??n.d?(?)?(h)ænd/
• Rhymes: -ænd
• Hyphenation: un?der?hand

Adjective

underhand (comparative more underhand, superlative most underhand)

1. secret; clandestine
2. (by extension) dishonest and sneaky; done in a secret or sly manner
3. (in various ball games, of a ball) thrown (etc.) with the hand brought forward and up from below

Synonyms

• (all): underhanded
• (ball games): underarm

Translations

Adverb

underhand (comparative more underhand, superlative most underhand)

1. with an underhand movement
2. in a sly, sneaky or secret manner

Synonyms

• (in a secret manner): underhandedly

Translations

Verb

underhand (third-person singular simple present underhands, present participle underhanding, simple past and past participle underhanded)

1. To toss or lob with an underhand movement.
2. To trick, deceive or gull.
3. (mining) To excavate downward in successive steps or horizontal slices while positioned above on unbroken ore.

Noun

underhand (plural underhands)

1. (textiles) The lower of two hands, the hand under the work.

   Your underhand should be entirely under the quilt.

Anagrams

• unharden'd

English

Etymology

From Latin nef?rius (“execrable, abominable”), from nef?s (“something contrary to divine law, an impious deed, sin, crime”), from ne- (“not”) + f?s (“the dictates of religion, divine law”), which is related to Latin for (“I speak, I say”) and cognate to Ancient Greek ???? (ph?mí, “I say”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n??f???i.?s/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /n??f????.?s/
• Rhymes: -??ri?s

Adjective

nefarious (comparative more nefarious, superlative most nefarious)

1. Sinful, villainous, criminal, or wicked, especially when noteworthy or notorious for such characteristics.

   Synonyms: evil, iniquitous, sinister, underhanded, vile, good-for-nothing; see also Thesaurus:evil

   • 1828, James Fenimore Cooper, The Red Rover, ch. 2:

     "If the vessel be no fair-trading slaver, nor a common cruiser of his Majesty, it is as tangible as the best man's reasoning, that she may be neither more nor less than the ship of that nefarious pirate the Red Rover."

   • 1877, Anthony Trollope, The Life of Cicero, ch. 9:

     Mommsen . . . declares that Catiline in particular was "one of the most nefarious men in that nefarious age. His villanies belong to the criminal records, not to history."

   • 1921, P. G. Wodehouse, The Indiscretions of Archie, ch. 26:

     The fact that the room was still in darkness made it obvious that something nefarious was afoot. Plainly there was dirty work in preparation at the cross-roads.

   • 2009 Oct. 14, Monica Davey, "Fact Checker Finds Falsehoods in Remarks," New York Times (retrieved 12 May 2014):

     “I try to let everyone back here in Minnesota know exactly the nefarious activities that are taking place in Washington.”

   Aliens have a nefarious connotation in many science fiction books.

Usage notes

• Commonly used in contexts involving villainous plans, conspiracies, or actions, as in:

• 1909, Bram Stoker, The Lady of the Shroud, book 7:

The whole nefarious scheme was one of the "put-up jobs" which are part of the dirty work of a certain order of statecraft.

Derived terms

• nefariously
• nefariousness

Translations

References

• nefarious at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• isofurane