detest

First recorded in1525–35; from Middle French detester, from Latin dētestārī “to call down a curse upon, loathe,” equivalent to dē-de- + testārī “to bear witness”; see testate

synonym study for detest

See hate.

OTHER WORDS FROM detest

de·test·er, nounun·de·test·ed, adjectiveun·de·test·ing, adjective

Words nearby detest

deterministic, deterred, deterrence, deterrent, detersive, detest, detestable, detestation, dethatch, dethrone, detick

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use detest in a sentence

In 1998, Hodges re-emerged practically from the ether with Croupier, in which Clive Owen gives a sterling performance as a coolly ambitious aspiring writer who, in order to make a living, returns to a line of work he both detests and excels at.
The 19 Most Underrated Movies on Netflix|Stephanie Zacharek|October 26, 2021|Time
Shanghai’s detested social life was forgotten, as were the constant pressures to conform to etiquette, the responsibilities of clandestine activities, and the unnecessary worries about my son … I was no longer afraid.’
The Mom Who Stole the Blueprints for the Atomic Bomb (The Freakonomics Radio Book Club Ep. 11)|Sarah Lyall|September 25, 2021|Freakonomics
She said she was undaunted and in fact eager to repair the reputation of a much-detested agency essential to the country’s operation.
Margaret Richardson, IRS commissioner during Clinton’s first term, dies at 78|Adam Bernstein|July 13, 2021|Washington Post
If you detest vegetables and love fruit, you may wonder if you can get your five daily servings from fruit alone.
Which fruits and vegetables don’t count toward your ‘5 a day’? New study has answers.|Cara Rosenbloom|March 18, 2021|Washington Post

Designers detest knobs and buttons cluttering their sleek dashboards.
Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E is an important leap into the future|Dan Carney|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
It stands, in short, for everything a leftist should detest.
Meet Stephen F. Cohen, Vladimir Putin's Best Friend in the American Media|Cathy Young|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That gives you, I think, a very vivid example of the way in which some intellectuals detest democracy.
The Politics of Literature: An interview with Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa|Michael Moynihan|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“I absolutely detest the investment banking industry,” he says.
Millennial males seek work-life balance too|Ellen Kampinsky|September 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In a Fox News survey, and that network knows its Republicans, they dislike her as thoroughly as they detest Obama.
Nancy Pelosi Becoming House Speaker Again Would Be Sweet Justice|Robert Shrum|April 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I do not hate the Palestinians, but I detest most of their leaders and their political culture.
Sheltered In Jerusalem|Gil Troy|November 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He can desire and wish only what he judges advantageous for himself; he can not love pain nor detest pleasure.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
And as men of learning are conservative in their sympathies, so they generally are fond of peace and detest war.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
They pay their addresses to the same mistress; but they cordially detest each other.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
The leaders mutually despise and detest one another, and universally endeavour to deceive and supplant each other.
Devil-Worship in France|Arthur Edward Waite
"I detest this voyage to Naples," he wrote to St. Vincent, two days before reaching the port.
The Life of Nelson, Vol. I (of 2)|A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan

British Dictionary definitions for detest

detest

/ (dɪˈtɛst) /

verb

(tr) to dislike intensely; loathe

Derived forms of detest

detester, noun

Word Origin for detest

C16: from Latin dētestārī to curse (while invoking a god as witness), from de- + testārī to bear witness, from testis a witness

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

detest

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synonym study for detest

OTHER WORDS FROM detest

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How to use detest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for detest

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Word Origin for detest