despicable

[des-pi-kuh-buhl, dih-spik-uh-]

adjective

1. deserving to be despised, or regarded with distaste, disgust, or disdain; contemptible.

   He was a mean, despicable man, who treated his wife and children badly.

   Synonyms: detestable, mean, vile
   Antonyms: admirable

despicable

/ dɪˈspɪkəbəl, ˈdɛspɪk- /

adjective

1. worthy of being despised; contemptible; mean

Other Word Forms

• despicability noun
• despicableness noun
• despicably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of despicable¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of despicable¹

C16: from Late Latin dēspicābilis, from dēspicārī to disdain; compare _despise

Example Sentences

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called the legislation “despicable” and said forcing officers to reveal their faces increases their risk of being targeted by criminals.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Sir Keir said it was "un-British to have little respect for others" by staging demonstrations on the anniversary and argued the protests had been used by some as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews".

Read more on BBC

Sir Keir said it was "un-British" to hold protests on the anniversary which, he said, had been used by some as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews".

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Supervisor Janice Hahn called the practice of paying for plaintiffs “despicable” and said any attorney guilty of the practice “should be disbarred, and their share of the settlement should go to the victims of abuse.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A fire at a London hotel housing asylum seekers is being treated as a hate crime and has been condemned as a "despicable and cowardly attack".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• contemptible 
• degrading 
• disgraceful 
• disreputable 
• loathsome 
• reprehensible 
• shameful 
• vile 
• wretched