nefarious

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The Word of the Day for December 13 is:

nefarious   \nih-FAIR-ee-us\   adjective
      : flagrantly wicked or impious : evil 

Example sentence: 
      The sheriff vowed to avenge the nefarious deeds of the 
bandits who robbed the bank and kidnapped his daughter. 
 
Did you know? 
      "Vicious" and "villainous" are two wicked synonyms 
of "nefarious," and, like "nefarious," both mean "highly 
reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct." 
But these synonyms are not used in exactly the same way in all 
situations. "Vicious" may imply moral depravity or it may 
connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive 
violence. "Villainous" applies to any evil, depraved, or vile 
conduct or characteristic, while "nefarious" (which derives from 
the Latin noun "nefas," meaning "crime") suggests flagrant 
breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct. 
While "nefarious" first appeared in English in the early 17th 
century, "vicious" and "villainous" preceded "nefarious" by 
about two hundred years.