# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/41 "2011-10-23T03:40:14Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > " > …but I have to say, he sure was a great dancer. Like most people, I didn’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/42 "2011-10-23T03:55:50Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Any one got a better idea? “Respect” for an enemies abilities is never inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/43 "2011-10-23T05:10:36Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Giving the Devil his due. This, or “grudging respect,” or simply using the preceding phrase, “I hate to say it, but…” Don’t think there’s a single word in the English language for this concept. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/44 "2011-10-23T13:08:16Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > ITT: an OP with a crossword. > That said I think [cunning](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cunning) and [artifice](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artifice) are two words that do the job nicely. > > Edit probably [guile](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/guile) is the best match: Those are nouns, right? The question is what verb shows respect, admiration or appreciation for certain abilities without supporting the goal or the end result. All of the above probably did at one time but these days its tougher with the word police that we have. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/45 "2011-10-23T22:18:48Z")
I ran into this problem when I traveled to Lima, Peru shortly after the Tupac Amaru had captured the Japanese Embassy there. I was trying to express that I was impressed that they were able to capture an entire embassy, its inhabitants and guests without killing anyone. This really offended the Peruvian I was talking to, who told me how evil the Tupac Amaru were. Then later Fujimora’s police took back the embassy while the “terrorists” were playing their regular, daily soccer match and killed every single one of the occupying Tupac Amaru. Most of whom were unarmed. I’ve always had a bit of difficulty reconciling the good and bad in that one. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/46 "2011-11-03T17:37:12Z")
On a recent episode of N.C.I.S. Ducky used the phrase “perverse admiration.” I like it–two words that say exactly what is meant. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/47 "2011-11-03T20:26:59Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Giving the Devil his due. I’ve used this one. Not one word though but it gets across what the OP wishes. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-word-for-admiring-an-evil-well-thought-and-carried-out-plan/600285/48 "2011-11-04T14:12:04Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I think “Appreciate” is probably the closest to what the OP is after, although it’s interesting that there’s no exact word in English to describe what they’re getting at. The word is appropriate and has that meaning. But the connotation seems to have drifted since most people use “Appreciate” as an expression of gratitude nowdays. Another problem is that our culture does not allow for us to grant any positive aspect to our enemies du jour. Terrorists, especially, can only be portrayed as craven, moustache twirling caricatures of villainry. To show them as people is considered wrong. And is dangerously dismissive. [Previous 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)