1
as in hating
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregarding
to ignore in a disrespectful manner
a traitor hated and despised by the whole community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despising
That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despising
Verb
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The storyline has been that Apple can’t shoot straight; the antipathy of the Apple-using/hating commentators runs so deep that the critics dredged up the canard that Apple’s done nothing since former CEO Steve Jobs died.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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Misogyny, Manne argues, is often less about hating women outright than about policing and punishing their behavior.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But opponents, including some municipalities, raised concerns that disregarding local zoning and land-use decisions would mean a loss of local control.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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In today’s rapidly warming climate, disregarding the dramatic effects of climate change in Greenland can doom projects to failure as Arctic temperatures climb.—
Paul Bierman,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Not every vagueposter is trying to go viral—some are simply addressing their own followers, forgetting that the fickle algorithm might spread the post beyond its target audience.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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For many gardeners, forgetting to water their houseplants from time to time is inevitable.—
Rachel Gillett,
Martha Stewart,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By 1845, Marx was scorning his colleagues for floating in the clouds.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despising. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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