# What is the best word for "admiring" an evil, well thought and carried out, plan **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285 "2011-10-20T19:56:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/1 "2011-10-20T19:56:39Z")
I am a wordsmith, but I am at a total loss here. What word best decribes the emotion one has for the ability of people like Timothy McVeigh, the 9/11 hijackers, and Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik to devise and carry out their evil plans. I hate saying I “admire” people like this, cause I don’t. Any one got a better idea? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/2 "2011-10-20T19:58:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I am a wordsmith, but I am at a total loss here. What word best decribes the emotion one has for the ability of people like Timothy McVeigh, the 9/11 hijackers, and Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik to devise and carry out their evil plans. I hate saying I “admire” people like this, cause I don’t. > > Any one got a better idea? Your answer is in the thread title. You admire the plan, not the person. You might also say you have a grudging respect for the evil genius. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/3 "2011-10-20T20:00:58Z")
How about “astonished by their deadly success.” ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/4 "2011-10-20T20:01:45Z")
I would call the feeling “perverse admiration”, though admittedly that’s two words rather than one. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/5 "2011-10-20T20:02:16Z")
> [@Ex\_Chemist](#): > > How about “astonished by their deadly success.” You could be astonished by the plan’s success without thinking it was well-crafted. If the plan seemed (or was) stupid, and succeeded only by luck, it would not be admirable. ---
**Author:** ![nolonger\_lurking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/41988e/32.png) [@nolonger\_lurking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nolonger_lurking)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/6 "2011-10-20T20:07:17Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Your answer is in the thread title. You admire the plan, not the person. You might also say you have a grudging respect for the evil genius. Grudgingly respecting the plan, or “admitting” or “confessing” respect for the plan are the standard forms I recall hearing. Note: still won’t work if it’s Hitler. ETA: Also, “tragically (or horribly) well-planned” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/7 "2011-10-20T20:09:47Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Your answer is in the thread title. You admire the plan, not the person. You might also say you have a grudging respect for the evil genius. Not really. I do admire their abilities to devise and carry out such an amazing plan. It isn’t easy. If only they would have used their talents for good. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/8 "2011-10-20T20:12:04Z")
I think the more traditional senses of ‘awe’ are close to this meaning - terrible admiration. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/9 "2011-10-20T20:35:11Z")
I would definitely avoid admire, even with clarification, simply because it implies some level of approval or whatever. Instead, what I’d probably use is “acknowledge” or “recognize” as in you acknowledge their a genius and success with the plan. That’s a term I’ll use when, for instance, hearing music from a genre I don’t like but clearly has talent. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/10 "2011-10-20T21:01:07Z")
“Cadmiration.” ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/11 "2011-10-20T21:10:55Z")
Giving the Devil his due. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/12 "2011-10-20T21:14:45Z")
Appreciate? I appreciate the effort and planning that went into this. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/13 "2011-10-20T21:17:08Z")
I think respect is appropriate (or “grudging respect”). Respect doesn’t have the same positive connotation as admire. You can, for instance, respect the nerve of someone, even if you oppose their actions. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/14 "2011-10-20T21:50:11Z")
Is “ingenious” supposed to cover such a scenario? Even if it is, cartoons over the years have given that word a fairly whimsical air to it that probably renders it inappropriate for something serious. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/15 "2011-10-20T21:53:46Z")
Actually scrap that, “ingenious” comes from the same root as “ingenuity” doesn’t it. I was thinking it compared to “genius” like infamous compares to famous. I’m not sure there’s a single word for it, it probably requires a longer description to convey the sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/16 "2011-10-20T22:00:01Z")
Neutral phrases like “clinical in its execution” can convey that a plan is well carried out without carrying any connotations of approval. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/17 "2011-10-20T22:09:18Z")
You could also describe their plans as “diabolical”, which conveys a certain level of evil scheming. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/18 "2011-10-20T22:30:45Z")
How about “respect their capabilities”? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/19 "2011-10-21T00:28:43Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > “Cadmiration.” Someone call Rich Hall. We have a new sniglet for him. And you, sir, win the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/20 "2011-10-21T00:54:32Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > I would call the feeling “perverse admiration”, though admittedly that’s two words rather than one. ↑ This ↑ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285.md?page=2)