Despise
/dɪˈspaɪz/
verbB2
Definition
To despise someone or something means to hate them strongly and think they are very bad or worthless. It is more than just not liking; it is a strong feeling of disrespect or disgust. People often despise behavior or actions they find very wrong or harmful.
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⚡ See It in Action
To feel strong hatred or dislike for someone or something
- •She despises dishonesty in any form.
- •Many people despise bullying because it hurts others.
- •He despised the idea of cheating on a test.
To regard someone or something as worthless or bad
- •They despised the rude behavior at the party.
- •The teacher despised students who did not try their best.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "despise" like "hate," but stronger and with a feeling of looking down on someone or something as bad or worthless.
- ✓Picture someone turning their face away with disgust when they see something they despise.
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you cannot stand a bad smell or a very unfair action.
- ✓Sounds like "dis-pize" → imagine someone saying "dis" (not) and "pize" like "prize," meaning "not a prize" or "not valuable."
- ✓In stories, villains are often despised by heroes because they do very bad things.
- ✓NOT like "dislike" (which can be mild or simple), "despise" is very strong and full of hate.
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (which means not paying attention), "despise" means strong negative feeling, not just ignoring.
- ✓NOT like "fear" (which is feeling scared), "despise" is about hate and disrespect, not fear.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Detest: to hate very much (Use when you want a very strong word for hate, often for actions or behavior)
- •Loathe: to hate strongly and feel disgust (Use when the feeling includes strong disgust or sickness)
- •Dislike: to not like (Use when the feeling is milder and less strong)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix/root: "de-" (down, away) + "spise" from Latin "despicere" meaning "to look down on"
- •Etymology: From Latin "despicere," which means to look down on or scorn someone
- •Historical development: The word entered English in the late 14th century with the meaning of strong dislike or scorn
- •Modern usage: Used to express strong dislike or hatred, often with a feeling of disrespect or moral judgment
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a situation where you felt you despised something? What made that feeling so strong?
•How is despising someone different from just not liking or being angry at them?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.People often despise ___ like cheating or lying because they are unfair actions.
2.When you despise someone, you usually feel ___ respect or kindness toward them.
3.Despise is stronger than dislike because it shows ___ negative feelings.
4.She despised the way he treated others, so she decided to ___ him.
5.Unlike fear or sadness, despise is a feeling of ___ and disrespect.
6.You might despise a habit that causes harm or ___ to others.
7.If you despise something, you probably will not want to ___ it or be near it.