1
as in to hate
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despise
The goddess Hera — who despised Heracles — later set the crab in the heavens in the form of the constellation Cancer as a reward for its bravery.
—
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 May 2026
Nearly half of Americans despise them, seeing the wealthy as the beneficiaries of a corrupt system who got rich at their expense.
—Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, Larysa was stuck in Belarus, a country allied with Russia that Nataliia despised and had refused to move to, despite her daughter’s many pleas.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Critics say this would come with strict reporting requirements, something dispensaries may despise and the DEA may not be ready for.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for despise
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 May 2026
Nearly half of Americans despise them, seeing the wealthy as the beneficiaries of a corrupt system who got rich at their expense.
—Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, Larysa was stuck in Belarus, a country allied with Russia that Nataliia despised and had refused to move to, despite her daughter’s many pleas.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Critics say this would come with strict reporting requirements, something dispensaries may despise and the DEA may not be ready for.
—Addy Bink, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for despise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despise
Verb
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And like Limbaugh, who built himself from a radio shock jock to a media titan by feeding listeners’ grievances, Fuentes tells his audience a story that encourages them to channel their anxieties and frustrations into disdain and hate for women and non-white people.—
Donie O'Sullivan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
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Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The indictment also accused Comey of disregarding a substantial risk that his post would be viewed as threatening violence.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Alabama in 2017 ended the practice of judicial override and no longer allows a judge to disregard a jury’s sentencing decision in death penalty cases.—
Kim Chandler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Don’t forget to use the code SUNSHINE at checkout to get the extra discount.—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
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By catering to his ego, international leaders can persuade Washington to forget—or at least to ignore—past tensions.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despise. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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