as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the detestable actions of a nasty little man
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Recent Examples of detestable
Since season 1, Steve has evolved from detestable jock to one of the series’ most beloved and protective figures.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But the context, circumstances and lack of reflection made his this detestable being.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
But a wave of summer shows were canceled in response, with conservative leader Kemi Badenoch—a uniquely detestable political figure in a country that perfected the form—calling on Glastonbury to remove the band from this year’s bill.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 28 May 2025
Top-notch casting is the cherry on top, with Lily James as the supremely likable Cinderella, Richard Madden as her down-to-earth prince, Cate Blanchett as the detestable stepmother with her own imperfect backstory, and Helena Bonham Carter as one lovably flighty fairy godmother.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But the context, circumstances and lack of reflection made his this detestable being.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
But a wave of summer shows were canceled in response, with conservative leader Kemi Badenoch—a uniquely detestable political figure in a country that perfected the form—calling on Glastonbury to remove the band from this year’s bill.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 28 May 2025
Top-notch casting is the cherry on top, with Lily James as the supremely likable Cinderella, Richard Madden as her down-to-earth prince, Cate Blanchett as the detestable stepmother with her own imperfect backstory, and Helena Bonham Carter as one lovably flighty fairy godmother.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detestable
Adjective
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The land of the southern hemisphere pulled away from this vile impactor, restructuring itself in the northern hemisphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
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Fleeing Salzburg and his father’s (Jonathan Aris) iron fist and emphasis on perfection, Mozart, armed with his compositions, vile language and impulsivity, is determined to take on the city.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Each side views members of the other party not as merely having a different view on politics but rather as evil or immoral.—
James Piazza,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
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Pope Francis changed the church’s social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.—
Nicole Winfield,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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How To Properly Load A Dishwasher To properly load a dishwasher for maximum cleaning power, place dishes in the dishwasher with the dirty side facing the jets, with taller items around the outside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
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Use the packing cubes to separate clean and dirty clothes for the duration of your cruise.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Those forests were previously home to bats, a natural reservoir for all kinds of nasty viruses.—
Neil Vora,
Time,
22 May 2026
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Still, his vice president’s now president, and his very, very nasty minister of justice is, some say, the power behind the throne.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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In the late '90s and early '00s, Pamela Anderson became a tabloid fixture who was frequently the butt of cruel jokes alongside many other female celebrities of the era.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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But fate, cruel and sudden, had other ideas.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Predictions: Jamie Bell, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, Matthew Macfadyen, Matthew Rhys A loaded category is headlined by Carey Mulligan’s fierce, contemptible, often hilarious performance as Oscar Isaac’s fed-up wife in Beef.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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Most people in the anglosphere don’t follow this region, and those who do get their opinions from a small number of people with a contemptible worldview.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Seniors are primary targets for these despicable scammers for a whole bunch of reasons.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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And now, a woman has lost her life because of this despicable act.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Another thankless gig leads Ben to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a nightclub singer with ties to Brendan Gleeson‘s Silvermane, a vicious mobster engaged in an increasingly heated conflict with the city’s mayor (Michael Kostroff).—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
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There are the victims, their families, and lives left shattered because of a single person’s vicious wrath.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detestable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detestable. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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