1
as in hating
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregarding
to ignore in a disrespectful manner
a traitor hated and despised by the whole community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despising
Cruelty and corruption recognized no regional boundaries, and officials on both sides seem to have come closer to despising than sympathizing with their suffering captives.
—
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despising
Verb
-
Can’t Arabs celebrate their heritage without being accused of hating Jews?—
Laura Einhorn,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
People can relate to hating gym class, disagreements with siblings or a first breakup.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to Cramer, the street chose to focus on the doom and gloom of rising oil prices, disregarding Wednesday's pullback.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
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The lawsuit further claimed that DHS and ICE are disregarding federal law while moving quickly to implement a nationwide agenda.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Yet my body, driven by the determination to bring this project to fruition, never stopped moving, forgetting to rest.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Wednesday’s practice started with some of the players doing up-downs after forgetting equipment.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
By 1845, Marx was scorning his colleagues for floating in the clouds.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despising. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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