Synonyms

despise

American

[dih-spahyz] / dɪˈspaɪz /

verb (used with object)

despised, despising

to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.

Synonyms:

detest, contemn

Antonyms:

admire

despise British

/ dɪˈspaɪz /

verb

(tr) to look down on with contempt; scorn

he despises flattery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

despisable adjective
despisableness noun
despiser noun
despisingly adverb
undespised adjective
undespising adjective

Etymology

Origin of despise

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere; despicable

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.

With those words, Imai immediately became something of a folk hero to any baseball fan who despises the Dodgers—a group that currently includes just about everyone outside of L.A.

From The Wall Street Journal

If you’re a fan of any team besides the Dodgers, you might despise all the money they spend on players.

From Los Angeles Times

For him, this zeitgeist translates into commodities “smoking” bonds and he regards the “despised oil/energy” sector as the best contrarian trade out there, after a long period of underperformance.

From MarketWatch

They despised them with a passion rarely directed at any plant species.

From Los Angeles Times

He was acutely aware that a great many of the people who had given him their money now despised him.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023