detest

verb

de·​test di-ˈtest 

dē-

detested; detesting; detests

transitive verb

1

: to feel intense and often violent antipathy toward : loathe

detests politics

They seem to truly detest each other.

2

obsolete : curse, denounce

detester noun

Synonyms

• abhor
• abominate
• despise
• execrate
• hate
• loathe

Choose the Right Synonym for detest

hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for.

hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice.

hated the enemy with a passion

detest suggests violent antipathy.

detests cowards

abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance.

a crime abhorred by all

abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation.

abominates all forms of violence

loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance.

loathed the mere sight of them

Examples of detest in a Sentence

I detest pepperoni, and wouldn't eat it if you paid me!

Recent Examples on the Web

While some people might detest insects just for being so buggy, for gardeners, each year might feel like another new battle against the bugs in determining what pest is ruining their plants and how to defend their crops from complete destruction. —Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 21 June 2024

Throughout the first half of the novel, the narrator pitied and detested Audra as someone who used to be a great beauty but is now clearly over the hill. —Constance Grady, Vox, 21 June 2024

Morgan Freeman, once again, shares his ‘detest’ of Black History Month. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2024

While Jules of course has a rightful reason to detest Preston, Freeman and Ng are careful to frame MacKay’s thick-necked and tattooed body so that Preston is, in some primal way, alluring. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French detester or Latin detestari; Middle French detester, from Latin detestari, literally, to curse while calling a deity to witness, from de- + testari to call to witness — more at testament

First Known Use

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

detest

verb

de·​test di-ˈtest 

: to dislike very strongly