Despise
verb
3rd person singular: despises | present participle: despising | past tense: despised | past participle: despised
Definition
To strongly dislike and have no respect for someone or something
Context Alive
Growing up, the two brothers couldn’t have been more different. One worked hard and played by the rules. The other cheated his way through everything. By the time they were adults, the honest brother openly despised everything his sibling stood for, refusing to even sit at the same table during family dinners.
Meanings
1 meaning
1
To strongly dislike and look down on — COMMON
Common
▼
When you despise someone or something, you hate them and have zero respect for them. Imagine a teacher who despises laziness in her students, getting visibly frustrated when they don’t even try. This is despising something. You might say “I despise dishonesty” or “He despises people who are cruel to animals.” Or think about someone who despises their old boss for taking credit for everyone else’s work, feeling both anger and contempt whenever that name comes up. The word is stronger than “dislike” — it includes looking down on something.
Vivid ExampleShe despised the way her coworker gossiped about everyone behind their backs, so she kept her distance and never shared anything personal with him.
Examples from the Street
“I despise people who are cruel to animals.”
I absolutely hate anyone who treats creatures badly
“She despises her ex-husband — she won’t even say his name.”
She feels intense hatred towards her former spouse — she refuses to even mention him
“He despises small talk — he’d rather sit in silence.”
He really can’t stand casual chit-chat — he prefers not speaking at all
Common Patterns
despise someone → feel intense hatred or contempt for a person
despise something → hate something strongly
despise yourself → feel deep self-hatred or shame
despise what [someone] stands for → hate someone’s values or beliefs
despise everything about [someone/something] → hate every aspect completely
absolutely/utterly despise → hate with extreme intensity
openly/publicly despise → show hatred without hiding it
secretly despise → hate someone while hiding it
come to despise → gradually develop hatred for
be despised by [someone] → be hated by a person or group
be despised for [reason] → be hated because of something
widely/universally despised → hated by many or all people
Collocations
3 collocationsdeeply despise
hate something or someone intensely
despise the idea
strongly dislike a particular concept
despise yourself
feel intense self-hatred
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
I absolutely despise people who litter — it shows complete disrespect for the environment
I truly can’t stand individuals who throw rubbish on the ground — it demonstrates total disregard for nature.
2
She despises her boss but can’t afford to quit her job
She feels intense hatred towards her manager but doesn’t have the financial freedom to resign.
3
He despises himself for the way he treated his parents when he was younger
He feels deep self-loathing for how he behaved towards his mother and father in his youth.
4
The dictator was widely despised by the people he ruled
The authoritarian leader was hated by large numbers of citizens under his control.
5
I don’t just dislike him — I despise everything he stands for
My feelings go beyond mere distaste — I hate every value and belief he represents.
6
She came to despise the city she once loved after years of stressful commuting
She gradually developed hatred for the place she once adored following years of exhausting daily travel.
7
He’s despised by his colleagues for constantly taking credit for other people’s work
His workmates feel contempt towards him because he always claims praise for what others have done.
8
I utterly despise having to wake up early on cold winter mornings
I completely hate being forced to get out of bed at dawn during the freezing months.
9
She secretly despised her sister but pretended they were close
She privately felt intense dislike for her sibling but acted as though they had a good relationship.
10
He was despised for betraying his friends to save himself
He was hated because he turned against his companions to protect his own interests.
Learner Examples
★
I used to despise grammar exercises, but now I understand how important they are for building accuracy
I once felt strong hatred towards structure drills, but these days I recognise their value in developing precision.
★
Some students despise being corrected in front of the class — it makes them feel embarrassed and reluctant to speak
Certain learners intensely dislike having their mistakes pointed out publicly — it causes them shame and unwillingness to participate orally.
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymshate
feeling intense dislike
loathe
feeling strong disgust
detest
hating deeply
look down on
feeling someone is beneath you
Antonymsadmire
feeling respect for someone
love
feeling deep affection
respect
holding someone in high regard