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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despicable
As Bertram, Gabriel Brown played well the spoiled and despicable cad.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
Kamilla could sit around and cry about the despicable things happening in her home country.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2025
This statement is despicable and is against everything the United States stands for.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025
As the judge in House vs. NCAA should have known, NIL is truly the wild west, as the cliché goes, the despicable negligence of the NCAA offering technicolor proof of the organization’s amorality.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for despicable
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
Kamilla could sit around and cry about the despicable things happening in her home country.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2025
This statement is despicable and is against everything the United States stands for.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025
As the judge in House vs. NCAA should have known, NIL is truly the wild west, as the cliché goes, the despicable negligence of the NCAA offering technicolor proof of the organization’s amorality.
—Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for despicable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despicable
Adjective
-
This negative sentiment was also felt on both sides of the Atlantic, given their pitiful plummet in popularity.—
Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
-
For their part, France produced a pitiful display of football, which deserved nothing less than elimination.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Jacob called his father prior to his death, and the worried dad overheard Donald shouting vile insults at his son, said prosecutors.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Ed and Lorraine had contact with the most vile and evil entities tied to those objects.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s more pathetic than those who keep selling that myth?—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Kamala has lied for years about their pathetic job growth, which has never been real.—
Meg Kinnard,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
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
-
Whereas the Star Wars sequels woefully misused the actor's talents, this movie puts them center stage, playing one of the teen hoodlums who join forces with their victim to fight off nasty, otherworldly invaders.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Things could be reversed if prompt actions are taken to get vaccination rates back up again before the different nasty microbes can spread too far in the U.S. population.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
How long is unknown, but with the season winding down and every game increasing in importance, any game off for Tucker is a sad statement on how far his stock has dropped in the last month.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
-
But the film’s precise, funny characters and vivid, sweltering look would have meant nothing without Lee’s wise and ultimately sad vision of multicultural America as a place where good intentions and casual mistrust are as commonplace as the local pizzeria.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet 80% of charging happens not at public plazas but in garages, where electricity is cheap and parking is certain.—
Carlos Georgescu,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Instead, save big by buying store brands, or private labels, which are usually cheaper.—
Gordon Ebanks,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Rudy flames out on his first day, though, and ends up working for a shady lawyer named Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) and her gleefully immoral paralegal Deck (P.J. Byrne).—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Others argue the bombings were militarily unnecessary, inherently immoral, and primarily designed to flex American power.—
David Cavell,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despicable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despicable. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share