despise

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈspaɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #8117

Meanings

1

verb
To hate someone or something and feel that they deserve no respect.

She despised him for the way he treated his family.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hate someone or... disdain scorn hate

More contemn despect disesteem disrespectmisrespectspurn

Opposites

admire appreciate cherish esteem respect revere treasure value

Word family

Forms despiseddespisesdespising

Derived forms despicable despisal despisement despiserdespiseworthydespisinglydespisingnessundespising

Related forms bah contempt despectdespectiondespite hate vilipend

Simplified etymology

Despise came through Old French despit from Latin despicere, formed from de- “down” and specere “look at,” so its underlying idea is looking down on someone or something.

Etymology

From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”). Displaced native Old English forsēon.

*speḱ- Proto-Indo-European despisen Middle English despis- Old French dēspiciō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# despise

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈspaɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 8117

## Meanings
1. To hate someone or something and feel that they deserve no respect.

## Examples
- She despised him for the way he treated his family.

## Synonyms
- contemn
- despect
- disdain
- disesteem
- disrespect
- misrespect
- scorn
- spurn

## Antonyms
- admire
- appreciate
- cherish
- esteem
- respect
- revere
- treasure
- value

## Derived Forms
- despicable
- despisal
- despisement
- despiser
- despiseworthy
- despisingly
- despisingness
- undespising

## Related Forms
- bah
- contempt
- despect
- despection
- despite
- hate
- vilipend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *speḱ-
- Root: despisen
- Root: despis-
- Root: dēspiciō

## Etymology
From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”). Displaced native Old English forsēon.

## AI Etymology
despise comes from Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”). Displaced native Old English forsēon. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *speḱ-, Middle English despisen, Old French despis-, Latin dēspiciō. The current sense is to hate someone or something and feel that they deserve no respect. English relatives and later formations include despicable, despisal, despisement, bah, contempt.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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