despised; despising
1
: to look down on with disrespect or aversion
despised the weak
2
: to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful
despises organized religion
Examples of despise in a Sentence
He and Julie grooved to Cuban son and jazz on NPR and loved arty films, for instance; and they distrusted big business and despised tract houses, malls, and other aesthetically unpleasing byproducts of a consumer society.
—
Brian C. Anderson, National Review, 13 Mar. 2006
She was despised as a hypocrite.
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Brian C. Anderson, National Review, 13 Mar. 2006
She was despised as a hypocrite.
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Recent Examples on the Web
The victory rescued Reagan's campaign, and demonstrated his popularity with southern conservative voters, donors, and strategists — many, like Helms, recently converted Democrats — who relished Reagan’s anti-statist rhetoric and despised Ford as an establishment moderate.
—TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Maybe Sacramento can learn how to despise Fisher, too. ...
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Even people who dislike and despise Hamas struggle, for a variety of reasons, to reconcile their own sense of historical injustice with what a resolution to the conflict would entail.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Moscow requires that Ukrainian children study in schools designed to teach them false history about their country, to despise their Ukrainian origins, and to prove their loyalty to Russia.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
The longevity of his appeal, however, may be threatened by his support for Trump — who remains despised by a strong majority of California voters — and his silence on some of the most divisive political issues of the day, including Israel.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
What are your reasonable hopes? To not totally despise both teams in the World Series.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
Still, these are two teams that despise one another.
—Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
The Nazi movement was a chaotic mess of struggling in-groups who feared and despised one another.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
Maybe Sacramento can learn how to despise Fisher, too. ...
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
Even people who dislike and despise Hamas struggle, for a variety of reasons, to reconcile their own sense of historical injustice with what a resolution to the conflict would entail.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Moscow requires that Ukrainian children study in schools designed to teach them false history about their country, to despise their Ukrainian origins, and to prove their loyalty to Russia.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
The longevity of his appeal, however, may be threatened by his support for Trump — who remains despised by a strong majority of California voters — and his silence on some of the most divisive political issues of the day, including Israel.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
What are your reasonable hopes? To not totally despise both teams in the World Series.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
Still, these are two teams that despise one another.
—Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
The Nazi movement was a chaotic mess of struggling in-groups who feared and despised one another.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'despise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near despise
Cite this Entry
“Despise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despise. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
despise
verb
de·spise
di-ˈspīz 
despised; despising
: to consider as beneath one's notice or respect : feel scorn and dislike for
despiser
noun
despisingly
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on despise
Nglish: Translation of despise for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of despise for Arabic Speakers
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