1
as in to hate
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disdain
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
an expression of total despisement for the "unwashed masses"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despise
Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Gardeners and foresters often go so far as to despise them.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Melissa Fields, the founder of Shades of Gray Design Studio, greatly despises seeing workout supplies in the bedroom.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
But most of the fey despise humans, especially Prince Cardan, the enchanting son of the High King.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despise
Verb
While sweet gum is known and appreciated for its lovely fall color, it is also despised for its seeds.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
Gardeners and foresters often go so far as to despise them.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Melissa Fields, the founder of Shades of Gray Design Studio, greatly despises seeing workout supplies in the bedroom.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
But most of the fey despise humans, especially Prince Cardan, the enchanting son of the High King.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despise
Verb
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But man, oh man, does Dan hate the game.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
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The pioneers of punk music did it because the mainstream crowd hated it.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude disregarded all threats of legal action, directing Running Fence to complete its predestined voyage into the sea.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Some of them blatantly disregarded social distancing and basic hand-washing policies and didn’t separate COVID-19 patients’ and non-COVID patients’ laundry.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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There were no scrums, barely any big hits and absolute zero sense of disdain from one bench to the other.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Later, amid speaking about his own wife, interview guest Josh Charles joked about Goldberg's disdain for the previous topic.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Don't forget to dust and clean the top of the appliance.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
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Prep & Savour Heavy-Duty Kitchenware Pan Divider Don’t forget to tackle your kitchen clutter this year.—
Ali Faccenda,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Every day, Trump exhibits his contempt for laws enacted by Congress — and for the Constitution itself.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
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Crosland also represented Troconis on contempt charges and successfully had those offenses dropped last June.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some viewers will know Rapaport from his decadeslong acting career but also that one very irritating season of Justified; others will know him for his anti-Palestinian rants and hatred of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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This is not to say that rape can be separated from the hatred of women, just that, in certain situations, the role of the victim can be violently reassigned.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despise. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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