1
as in to hate
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 despise
Ann Godoff, the founder of Penguin Press and the editor of Ron Chernow, Zadie Smith, Salman Rushdie, and Thomas Pynchon, would have despised this obituary.
—
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Yet Americans despise this economy.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Liberal Democrats who despised Daley as a corrupt big-city boss hailed Jackson as a hero.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
An unofficial list provided by the Rhode Island Invasive Species Council includes a number of aggressive plants that are widely despised by gardeners, such as Norway maple, Oriental bittersweet, Tree of Heaven, autumn olive, garlic mustard and Japanese knotweed.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for despise
Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Yet Americans despise this economy.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Liberal Democrats who despised Daley as a corrupt big-city boss hailed Jackson as a hero.
—Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
An unofficial list provided by the Rhode Island Invasive Species Council includes a number of aggressive plants that are widely despised by gardeners, such as Norway maple, Oriental bittersweet, Tree of Heaven, autumn olive, garlic mustard and Japanese knotweed.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for despise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despise
Verb
-
The part puts Wahlberg opposite his old rival, Matt Damon, and the press revels in the opportunity for on-set gossip, real (the two actors genuinely hate each other) or imagined.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Why do people hate Jews so much?—
Nicole Frehsee Mazur,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah, the paramilitary group in Lebanon, got involved in the conflict, disregarding the state’s sovereignty and firing missiles and drones from Lebanese territory at an Israeli military site near Haifa.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Under that model, traditional insurance is disregarded and patients instead pay a monthly fee for access to low-cost health care.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So forget shady characters, or fake websites.—
Dave Lieber
Mar. 11,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t forget to wash the colander afterward.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despise. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
