despise

despise — verb

1. to have a feeling of complete hatred toward a person, group, or thing, believing

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to have a feeling of complete hatred toward a person, group, or thing, believing that they have no value or good qualities at all

例句

Yael despises dishonest politicians who make promises and then break every single one.

despise + noun for moral judgment

The film was widely despised by critics for its shallow plot and terrible acting.

passive: despised by [group] for [reason]

同義詞
  • loathe

    similar strength but focuses more on visceral disgust or repulsion rather than moral judgment

  • detest

    a strong version of 'hate' but without the element of looking down on someone as worthless

  • disdain

    emphasizes a feeling of superiority and cold rejection rather than active hatred

反義詞
  • admire

    to regard with respect and warm approval, the opposite of looking down on someone

  • cherish

    to value and care for deeply, opposite of regarding as worthless

文法句型

despise + noun/pronoun

despise + noun/pronoun + for + noun/-ing form

用法筆記

Not used in progressive tenses (❌ ‘I am despising him’). Stronger and more emphatic than ‘dislike’ or ‘hate’, and carries a moral judgment that the object has no worth or value.

常見錯誤

❌I despise spiders.
✅I hate spiders.
💡‘despise’ is too strong for common fears or mild dislikes; it implies a judgment about moral worth.
❌I am despising the noise from the street.
✅I despise the noise from the street.
💡‘despise’ is not used in progressive (continuous) tenses.