detest

detest — verb

1. to feel extreme dislike for someone or something, much stronger than simply not

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to feel extreme dislike for someone or something, much stronger than simply not liking them

例句

Jiwoo detests the smell of cigarette smoke and always moves away from smokers.

detest + noun phrase for concrete disliked things

Rachid detests being interrupted when he is concentrating on an important task.

detest + gerund for disliked actions

同義詞
  • hate

    more common and less formal; can refer to both passing annoyance and lasting dislike

  • loathe

    similar intensity but often suggests physical revulsion or disgust

  • abhor

    strongly rejects something on moral or principled grounds; slightly more formal

  • despise

    adds a sense of scorn or looking down on someone or something

反義詞
  • adore

    strong positive counterpart, implying deep affection and admiration

  • cherish

    implies valuing and caring for someone or something deeply

文法句型

detest + noun/pronoun

detest + verb-ing

detest + it when + clause

用法筆記

Commonly followed by a gerund (detest doing) or by 'it when' + clause. Stronger and more formal than 'hate'; suggests a deeply held, often morally grounded aversion rather than a momentary feeling of anger.

常見錯誤

❓ 'I detest from waking up early.' ✅ 'I detest waking up early.' — 'detest' is transitive and takes a direct object; do not add a preposition after it.

❓ 'I detested my brother because he broke my toy.' ✅ 'I was angry at my brother for breaking my toy.' — 'detest' describes a sustained, long-term attitude, not a short-term reaction to a single event.