despise

B2 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /dɪˈspaɪz/ See IPA manual

verb 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.

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

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

Emotions & Feelings

# 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
- Emotions & Feelings

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despise

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