SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
despise
verb
To regard with strong contempt or intense dislike.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Regard with contempt
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDespise particularly combines strong dislike with a low opinion; hate need not include that judgment.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See despise in use
The heroine comes to despise the court's empty flattery.
A fictional vendor said she could despise a promoter who mocked beginners while profiting from their entry fees, expressing contempt rather than a mere difference in musical taste.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license