1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
even within the prison population, pedophiles are regarded as particularly despicable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the cad's despicable behavior toward women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a despicable attempt at making a movie comedy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despicable
Trump’s behavior is beyond despicable and is extremely dangerous.
—
Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
For all their naïveté, Anna and Tom are not despicable.
—Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater The bullying of Zelenskyy The bullying by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance against President Zelenskyy is despicable.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025
Some segments of the Democratic coalition would find Piker to be edgy, or crass, or even despicable.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despicable
Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
For all their naïveté, Anna and Tom are not despicable.
—Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater The bullying of Zelenskyy The bullying by President Trump and Vice President JD Vance against President Zelenskyy is despicable.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025
Some segments of the Democratic coalition would find Piker to be edgy, or crass, or even despicable.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despicable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despicable
Adjective
-
Look, everyone points to injuries as the reason for the pitiful performance so far this season, but a lot of teams are dealing with injuries.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2025
-
So many of the latter comes thanks to Niecy Nash’s Nurse DiDi, who seems to take the time to see her patients as worthwhile much more often than her cohorts, the self-important Dr. Jenna James (Laurie Metcalf) and pitiful nurse Dawn (Alex Borstein).—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2025
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Fans, some of them little kids parroting what their parents were saying, called him vile names.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Kenney-Silver delivers a touchingly nuanced performance as Anne, balanced on the fine line between sad as in devastated and sad as in pathetic.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2025
-
Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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Mingyang took the center of the Octagon from the beginning, landed hard leg kicks, and opened a nasty gash on Smith’s forehead with a step-in elbow.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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With a triple-digit heater and a nasty slider, he’s always been a tantalizing talent.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Though the courts have not invariably ruled against Trump, the Administration’s record so far is, to use one of the President’s favorite words, sad.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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The sad story of Alex Verdugo was one of the most puzzling dramas of the MLB offseason.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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China leads the global production of cheap goods made in large volume, such as dishes and cooking gadgets.—
Pablo Robles,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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Some cheaper tags don’t have a replaceable battery although some have rechargeable cells.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even children and adolescents express more willingness to shun and punish moral transgressors than people who do something personally obnoxious or offensive but not immoral.—
Jen Cole Wright,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
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Regardless of what transpired between the two cast members, on or off screen, Aspen was unfairly portrayed as an immoral character.—
Taylor Crumpton,
Essence,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despicable. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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