Vragelige

Vragelige is a Danish adjective meaning morally reprehensible, vile, or wretched. It is used to describe people, actions, or conditions that are considered repugnant, corrupt, or of very poor quality. The term carries a strong negative evaluation and is more common in literary, historical, journalistic, or formal contexts than in everyday casual speech.

Morphology and usage notes: vragelige is the form used before plural nouns in indefinite constructions. The neuter singular form is vrageligt, as in et vrageligt forhold. The adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in number and definiteness, so you may see phrases like de vragelige forhold or det vragelige forhold, depending on the context. It can describe tangible conditions (vragelige levevilkår, a wretched living standard) as well as moral or behavioral qualities (vragelige handlinger, vile acts).

Etymology and nuance: the word derives from Danish roots associated with decay or ruin, giving a sense of something that is rotten, corrupt, or sordid. Because of its strong connotation, vragelige is typically reserved for emphatic descriptions and is less common in everyday, neutral conversation.

Related terms and contrasts: synonyms include frygtelig, forfærdelig, grusom, and afskyelig; antonyms might be words like venlig, god, or respektabel, depending on context.

See also: Danish adjective inflection, Danish vocabulary for moral and social evaluation.