despicable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of despicable
1545–55; < Late Latin dēspicābilis, equivalent to Latin dēspic ( ārī ) to despise or dēspic ( ere ) to look down ( dē- de- + -spic- look, combining form of specere ) + -ābilis -able
Explanation
Stealing the last piece of food from a starving child goes way beyond mean. It's despicable — a vile and harmful act. Mean, nasty, and scummy are synonyms of despicable, but they don't fully convey the awfulness of despicable. A man who lies to get a promotion meant for his co-worker would be considered mean. But the despicable man — the one who is so awful and worthless that he deserves to be despised — is the one who burns down the office building and frames his co-worker for it.
Vocabulary lists containing despicable
Holes
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But after negotiations with representatives of Pharrell Williams, singer of Happy - a song that appears in Despicable Me 2 and one of Sabate's selections - an agreement was reached and he was granted permission.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
This pubescent Vance has been adorned with a rainbow propeller hat and a swirly lollipop, morphed into a patriotic Minion from Despicable Me, and rendered as lisping Hans Landa, the Nazi villain from Inglourious Basterds.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2025
"Despicable," Pope Francis called it recently during his annual address to the world’s ambassadors to the Vatican, urging for a global ban "to prohibit this practice universally."
From Salon • Feb. 4, 2024
"Happy," written for the animated movie "Despicable Me 2," earned Williams one of his two Oscar nominations.
From Reuters • Feb. 14, 2023
Despicable, des′pi-ka-bl, adj. deserving to be despised: contemptible: worthless.—ns.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
