detest

verb

de·​test di-ˈtest 

dē-

detested; detesting; detests

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

detester noun

Synonyms

• hate
• despise

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

Bulgakov’s novel The White Guard, published in 1925 and set at the same time, is an elegy for Tsarist Kyiv that detests both Ukrainian national aspirations and Bolshevik rule. —Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025

Mengele would’ve detested what became of his bones; there’s a sense of catharsis to the mad doctor being reduced to parts on a slab. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2025

Even Democrats who detest the president might be forgiven for taking some delight in watching Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who bullied and humiliated President Joe Biden, get a taste of his own medicine. —Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025

American Jews overwhelmingly detest Hamas, of course, and a recent survey of Jewish voters by the Democratic research firm GBAO Strategies shows that a large majority are worried about antisemitism on college campuses. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for detest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed

Kids Definition

detest

verb

de·​test di-ˈtest 

: to dislike very strongly