detest
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Related Words
See hate.
Other Word Forms
- detester noun
- undetested adjective
- undetesting adjective
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”; testate
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.
His exile to the archives provided him with the arsenal of ammunition he used against the system he came to detest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026
Not only do the Fremen detest colonizers mining their planet for spice and often attack them, the mining operation is also a dangerous activity in and of itself.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2024
"You do enjoy it, but you also detest and loathe it sometimes because it takes away from the life you want to live."
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2024
“I remember and detest those phonics workbooks we had to use in 1st & 2nd grade. I’m not a teacher. I would have preferred other ways of learning to read.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2023
“I detest American television,” Moushumi eventually declares to everyone’s delight, then wanders into the hallway to continue her reading.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
