despicable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- despicability noun
- despicableness noun
- despicably adverb
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
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.
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
“Cesar Chavez the man did something horrible, something despicable, something that we’re not going to justify,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
Zelensky called it a "despicable attack" on military personnel in a post on X and urged Iran to put an end to attacks against its neighbouring countries.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 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
The whole rotten lot of them is despicable.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
