as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the detestable actions of a nasty little man
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detestable
Can’t wait for the Stanley Cup window to close on Team Tank, easily the most detestable team in the League.
—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025
Overall, the film has gotten a mixed reception, and Strong’s character is pretty detestable.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Social media soon was flooded with posts from people who found the character detestable, and the actor had no problem with that.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
What’s more, a loss at Hell in a Cell could also force McIntyre to become an even more detestable heel in the weeks and months ahead.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025
Overall, the film has gotten a mixed reception, and Strong’s character is pretty detestable.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
Social media soon was flooded with posts from people who found the character detestable, and the actor had no problem with that.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
What’s more, a loss at Hell in a Cell could also force McIntyre to become an even more detestable heel in the weeks and months ahead.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detestable
Adjective
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Finally, the mint julep is a vile almost undrinkable beverage.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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Along with receiving vulgar comments in person and people taking her picture on campus, the 18-year-old has received vile and sexist messages after her phone number was posted online.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers also noted the chatbot engaging in other potentially disturbing—though not necessarily immoral—behavior.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
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Suggesting that being out of work is immoral, as opposed to the conditions that contribute to people’s ability to work and live, might be a more appropriate source of anxiety.—
Lauren Coulman,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Airplane tray tables, seatbelt buckles and armrests are known to be among the dirtiest surfaces onboard.—
Isabelle Rodney,
CNN Money,
20 May 2025
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Duffy, a former reality show contestant and four-term congressman, comes to the blame game with dirty hands.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant (35 points), and the Thunder defense was nasty.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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But Laxe’s cadence of death is nasty and arbitrary and delightful.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
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But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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At the time, some of LeBron’s critics saw this as contemptible.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And the political theater that has taken place of simply ignoring the problem can only be summarized by the word despicable.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
25 May 2025
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This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The original 2006 film, which was adapted from Lauren Weisberger’s book of the same name, starred Meryl Streep as the powerful Miranda Priestley, Anne Hathaway as fashion newbie Andy Sachs, Emily Blunt as vicious assistant Emily and Stanley Tucci as Miranda’s right hand man Nigel.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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The synopsis reads: Prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detestable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detestable. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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