detest

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العربية الفصحى
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/dɪˈtest/
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Intense hatred or loathing, with an older sense of solemnly cursing or denouncing what is hated.
Practice using detest in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • I detest the smell of cigarette smoke.
  • Early writers detested the practice as impious.
  • The chronicler detested the oath as treachery.
  • The sermon detested greed as a public sin.
  • Reformers detested the decree in fierce language.

Similar words

loathe
abominate
execrate
despise
abhor
curse
hate
execrate
denounce
anathematize

Meanings

Hate intensely

verb
emotion
neutral
To dislike someone or something so strongly that the feeling is closer to loathing than ordinary dislike.

Examples

  • I detest the smell of cigarette smoke.
  • She detests cruelty in any form.
  • They detested each other after the lawsuit.
  • He detests being photographed at work.
  • The editor detested lazy, careless prose.

Similar words

loathe
abhor
hate
despise
abominate
execrate

Curse or denounce solemnly

verb
historical
archaic
In older writing, to denounce someone or something with solemn hatred, sometimes as if calling down a curse.

Examples

  • The pamphlet detested the minister as a traitor.
  • Early writers detested the practice as impious.
  • The sermon detested greed as a public sin.
  • The chronicler detested the oath as treachery.
  • Reformers detested the decree in fierce language.

Similar words

condemn
denounce
curse
execrate
anathematize
abominate

Etymology

From French détester and Latin detestari, originally tied to calling a god or witness against something before the word settled into the sense of hating intensely.

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