vidrig

Vidrig is an adjective used in Swedish to mean disgusting, repulsive, or vile. It describes things that evoke strong revulsion, from physical odours or sights to morally condemned actions. In everyday language it functions as a strong emphatic term, stronger than ordinary synonyms like otäck or hemsk. Examples include: Det var en vidrig handling (That was a vile act) and Lukten var vidrig (The smell was disgusting). The adverb form is vidrigt, as in Lukten luktar vidrigt.

Usage and nuance: Vidrig often conveys both physical revulsion and moral condemnation, making it a versatile term in media, literature, and colloquial speech. It tends to carry an evaluative, sometimes harsh, tone and is typically reserved for cases that provoke a strong sense of revulsion rather than mere inconvenience. In contrast, milder descriptors such as avskyvärd or hemsk may be used for softer condemnations, while äcklig covers a broader range of unpleasantness without the moral weight.

Etymology and relations: The precise origin of vidrig is not clearly established in available sources, but it is considered a native Scandinavian term with cognates in related Nordic languages. Its usage appears across historical and contemporary Swedish, with parallel forms in Danish and Norwegian in various contexts. The word is largely confined to Scandinavian linguistic areas and is less common in other Germanic languages.

See also: disgust, revulsion, moral condemnation, äcklig, hemsk.