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despise

 
(dĭ-spīz') pronunciation
tr.v., -spised, -spis·ing, -spis·es.
  1. To regard with contempt or scorn: despised all cowards and flatterers.
  2. To dislike intensely; loathe: despised the frigid weather in January.
  3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern: despised any thought of their own safety.

[Middle English despisen, from Old French despire, despis-, from Latin dēspicere : dē-, de- + specere, to look.]

despisal de·spis'al (-spī'zəl) n.
despiser de·spis'er n.

SYNONYMS   despise, contemn, disdain, scorn, scout. These verbs mean to regard with utter contempt: despises incompetence; contemned the dictator's actions; disdained my suggestion; scorns sentimentality; scouted simplistic explanations.
ANTONYM  esteem


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must be spelt -ise, not -ize. See -ise.

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Roget's Thesaurus:

despise

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verb

  1. To regard with utter contempt and disdain: contemn, disdain, scorn, scout. Idioms: have no use for, look downonupon. See respect/contempt/standing.
  2. To regard with extreme dislike and hostility: abhor, abominate, detest, execrate, hate, loathe. See love/hatred.


v

Definition: look down on
Antonyms: admire, appreciate, cherish, like, love

Word Tutor:

despise

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Scorn.

pronunciation Great is the power of habit. It teaches us to bear fatigue and to despise wounds and pain. — Cicero.

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Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'despise'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to despise, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Despise.
Translations:

Despise

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - ringeagte

Nederlands (Dutch)
verachten, versmaden

Français (French)
v. tr. - mépriser

Deutsch (German)
v. - verachten, verschmähen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - περιφρονώ, καταφρονώ, σιχαίνομαι

Italiano (Italian)
disprezzare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - desprezar

Русский (Russian)
презирать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - despreciar, desdeñar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - förakta, strunta i

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
轻视

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 輕視

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 멸시하다, 혐오하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 軽蔑する, 忌み嫌う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يحتقر, يزدري, يستخف بشئ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮בז, תיעב‬


 
 
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American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Fowler's Modern English Usage. Oxford University Press. © 1999, 2004 All rights reserved.  Read more
Roget's Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms by Answers.com. © 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
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