detest
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See hate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of detest
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French detester, from Latin dētestārī “to call down a curse upon, loathe,” equivalent to dē- de- + testārī “to bear witness”; see testate
Explanation
If you detest something, you dislike it intensely. The word can apply to things and also to people. You might detest your ex-boyfriend and you might also detest rainy Mondays and broccoli. Detest comes from the Middle French word détester, meaning "to curse, to call God to witness and abhor." Though the words detest and hate are interchangeable, the word hate is much more common, which has caused it to lose some of its hateful impact. Detest is used more sparingly, reserved for cases where no other word will do, where your feelings of dislike are so powerful that they need just the right word to sum them up.
Vocabulary lists containing detest
Tears of a Tiger
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Stargirl
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List 1
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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.
"Detest you?" he stammered out, almost beside himself with joy.
From Bijou by Gyp
"Detest me!" he laughed hysterically, and the fire in his eyes grew brighter.
From To Win the Love He Sought The Great Awakening: Volume 3 by Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
Since Cleopatra dyed, I haue liu'd in such dishonour, that the Gods Detest my basenesse.
From Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare, William
Great souls grow bolder in their country's cause, Detest enslavers, and despise their laws.
From The Poems of Philip Freneau, Volume I (of III) by Freneau, Philip
Detest your sins truly, and resolve to do so for the time to come, and be in charity with all men.
From Trial of Mary Blandy by Roughead, William
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.
