detest

verb

de·test | \ di-ˈtest

, dē-\

detested; detesting; detests

Definition of detest

transitive verb

1 : to feel intense and often violent antipathy toward : loathe detests politics They seem to truly detest each other.

2 obsolete : curse, denounce

Other Words from detest Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about detest

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Synonyms & Antonyms for detest

Synonyms

abhor, abominate, despise, execrate, hate, loathe

Antonyms

love

Choose the Right Synonym for detest

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for. hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice. hated the enemy with a passion detest suggests violent antipathy. detests cowards abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance. a crime abhorred by all abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation. abominates all forms of violence loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance. loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of detest in a Sentence

I detest pepperoni, and wouldn't eat it if you paid me!

Recent Examples on the Web

Perhaps above all John detested the abuse of power, could not abide bigots and swaggering. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Read the Full Transcript of George W. Bush's Eulogy for John McCain," 1 Sep. 2018 And like a true left wing extremist, well, comrade de Blasio detests diversity of thought. — Fox News, "Giuliani: Mueller's investigation is obviously illegitimate," 9 Aug. 2018 At the start of the year the political focus was on the beneficial effects for investors of Mr. Trump’s corporate-tax cuts, but his trade policies are detested by markets. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "Halfway Through a Troubling Year," 2 July 2018 Perhaps above all, John detested the abuse of power. — Caroline Houck, Vox, "George W. Bush honors McCain as “unwavering, undimmed, unequal”," 1 Sep. 2018 The council downplayed the impact of the safety net programs — long detested by Republicans — on the country’s economic health. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "Social Security, food stamps, and other programs kept 44 million people out of poverty last year," 12 Sep. 2018 But despite overwhelming support from the GOP here, Trump is still widely detested in California, where independents are on the verge of overtaking Republicans in voter registration. — Alexei Koseff, sacbee, "Five things to watch at the California Republican Party convention this weekend | The Sacramento Bee," 4 May 2018 On Hater, a dating app that matches its 100,000 users by their mutual dislikes, Hawaiian pizza was the most widely detested food of 2017, beating out spray cheese and overstuffed burritos. — Kelsey Gee, WSJ, "A Divided Nation Reveals Itself In One Question: Hawaiian Pizza, Yes or No?," 17 Apr. 2018 In the late 1990s, President Bill Clinton came to detest then-director Louis Freeh, but their distrust did not lead to withering public attacks from the president himself. — Anchorage Daily News, "Inside the FBI: Anger, worry, work – and fears of lasting damage," 3 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'detest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.