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.
In a statement on Thursday, the governor of the Bandiagara region "condemned these despicable and inhumane acts in the strongest possible terms".
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
‘Regardless of whether or not the move is legal, it is certainly disgraceful, despicable, reprehensible, loathsome, outrageous and just plain truly pathetic,’ writes an L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Estrosi, who is a vocal supporter of Israel and whose wife is Jewish, denounced the act as despicable and said he wouldn’t be intimidated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
It’s a despicable choice — one that will come back into the fray later in the series’ tenure — but one that succinctly reflects the show’s dynamics.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
But, if Maggie’s confession is true, then the Fox sisters’ long hoax also took advantage of grief and is therefore despicable and unforgivable.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
