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despise someone
/dɪˈspaɪz ˈsʌmwʌn/
to strongly dislike or hate someone
She despised her boss for his unfair treatment.
She strongly disliked her boss because of his unfair behavior.
formalinformal
To feel intense contempt or hatred for someone, often due to their actions or character.
He despised the politician for his dishonesty.
He strongly disliked the politician because of his lies.
The community despised the criminal for his violent acts.
The community hated the criminal because of his violent behavior.
The phrase conveys a stronger emotion than 'dislike' and is often used to express deep disapproval.
Collocations
despise someone forto hate someone because of a specific reasondespise someone's actionsto strongly dislike someone's behavior
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Usage Context
Use 'despise' when you want to express a very strong feeling of hatred or contempt, often in formal or literary contexts.
Gold Rule
Strength of Emotion
'Despise' is stronger than 'dislike' and implies a deep-seated contempt or hatred.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'despisen,' meaning to regard as worthless or contemptible.
Usage Notes
The phrase is often used in formal or literary contexts to express strong disapproval or hatred. It is stronger than 'dislike' and implies a deep-seated contempt.
Word Breakdown
despise
to regard with contempt or hatred
rootsomeone
a person
objectEnglish Dictionary