detest

de·test

verb \di-ˈtest, dē-\

Definition of DETEST

transitive verb

1

: to feel intense and often violent antipathy toward : loathe

2

obsolete : curse, denounce

— de·test·er noun

Examples of DETEST

1. <I detest pepperoni, and wouldn't eat it if you paid me!>

Origin of DETEST

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

First Known Use: circa 1535

Related to DETEST

Synonyms: abhor, abominate, despise, hate, execrate, loathe

Antonyms: love

Related Words: deplore, deprecate, disapprove (of), discountenance, disdain, disfavor, scorn

Near Antonyms: desire, fancy, favor, like, prefer; enjoy, relish; admire, adore, approve (of), esteem, hallow, idolize, revere, venerate, worship; cherish, prize, treasure

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See Synonym Discussion at hate

Rhymes with DETEST

abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, arrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, behest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, devest, digest, distressed, divest, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West