Despise

Pronunciation: /dɪˈspaɪz/

Definitions of despise

verb to feel contempt or a deep repugnance for; to regard with scorn or disgust

Example Sentences

A1 I despise broccoli.

A2 She despises cleaning the house.

B1 He despises people who are always late.

B2 The politician despised his opponent's tactics.

C1 The renowned artist despises commercialism in the art world.

C2 The professor despises plagiarism and has a zero-tolerance policy for it.

Examples of despise in a Sentence

formal I despise the way he conducts business, it lacks integrity.

informal I really despise doing the dishes, it's my least favorite chore.

slang I can't stand that guy, I totally despise him.

figurative Her words were like daggers, piercing through his heart with the force of despise.

Grammatical Forms of despise

• past tense: despised
• plural: despises
• comparative: more despised
• superlative: most despised
• present tense: despises
• future tense: will despise
• perfect tense: has despised
• continuous tense: is despising
• singular: despise
• positive degree: despise
• infinitive: despise
• gerund: despising
• participle: despised

Origin and Evolution of despise

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'despise' originated from the Latin word 'despicere', which means to look down on or scorn.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'despise' has retained its original meaning of looking down on or scorn, but has also come to encompass a strong feeling of contempt or aversion towards something or someone.