detest

[ dih-test ]
/ dɪˈtɛst /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR detest ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to feel abhorrence of; hate; dislike intensely.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of detest

1525–35; < Middle French detester < Latin dētestārī to call down a curse upon, loathe, equivalent to dē- de- + testārī to bear witness; see testate

OTHER WORDS FROM detest

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

Words nearby detest

determiner, determinism, deterrence, deterrent, detersive, detest, detestable, detestation, dethatch, dethrone, detick
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to detested

despise, abhor, loathe, repudiate, abominate, reject, execrate

British Dictionary definitions for detested

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