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
Cruelty and corruption recognized no regional boundaries, and officials on both sides seem to have come closer to despising than sympathizing with their suffering captives.
—
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despising
Verb
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BrickHeadz are a little divisive, with Lego fans either loving or hating them.—
Kim Snaith,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Experiential businesses and live events are letting customers find camaraderie by hating in-person.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At Monday’s meeting, Blowers noted the benefits of the devices, as well as their potential safety issues — like individuals operating the equipment in an unsafe manner, riding too close to pedestrians or in congested areas on sidewalks and disregarding traffic control devices.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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Decades of pandering to public employee unions, bloating of bureaucratic staffs, and disregarding voter wishes regarding the outsourcing of local services and limiting pensions have been identified.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Rule Breaker Breaking the rules, the TSA spokespersons said, generally comes from not knowing the rules or passengers simply forgetting.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
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Not by feeling ashamed, but not by ignoring or forgetting the history either.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Feb. 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 24 Feb. 2026.
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