detest
verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
- abhor
- abominate
- despise
- execrate
- hate
- loathe
Example Sentences
Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, 9 May 2022 The Lakers and the league are said to detest the series’ existence, too, with NBA lawyers already reaching out to HBO about the use of trademarks and logos well ahead of the show’s premiere. Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2022 Among those who have voiced concern loudly enough to gain public attention is state Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, who Lahner listed as someone who seems to detest the tool as policy. Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2022 This sympathy is particularly strong among young Poles, many of whom detest the Law and Justice party and strongly support the European Union. New York Times, 18 Mar. 2022 Polling shows Americans widely detest the practice: 75 percent would prefer to end it, according to an October poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2022 Polling shows Americans widely detest the practice: 75 percent would prefer to end it, according to an October poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Erin Cox, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2022 The city of Chicago signed over its parking business to a private company on a 75-year contract, a short-term financial windfall that residents will detest for generations. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2021 But if takeout was just like us, why did my father detest it so much? Jenny Liao, Bon Appétit, 30 Mar. 2021 See More Word History
Middle French detester or Latin detestari; Middle French detester, from Latin detestari, literally, to curse while calling a deity to witness, from de- + testari to call to witness — more at testament
circa 1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
detest
verb
detest
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- hate
- abhor
- loathe
- despise
- abominate
- disdain
- execrate
- have it in for
- deplore
- scorn
- deprecate
- disapprove (of)
- discountenance
- disfavor
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- love
- prefer
- like
- desire
- enjoy
- relish
- favor
- admire
- fancy
- adore
- approve (of)
- revere
- worship
- cherish
- treasure
- idolize
- esteem
- venerate
- prize
- hallow
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of detest are abhor, abominate, hate, and loathe. While all these words mean "to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for," detest suggests violent antipathy.
The words abhor and detest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.
The synonyms abominate and detest are sometimes interchangeable, but abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.
While in some cases nearly identical to detest, hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.
In some situations, the words loathe and detest are roughly equivalent. However, loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.