1
as in hating
to dislike strongly
I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disregarding
to ignore in a disrespectful manner
a traitor hated and despised by the whole community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of despising
Larson’s son Lane, then 9, had grown up loving the Bulldogs and despising their rivals, and made his feelings clear.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Cruelty and corruption recognized no regional boundaries, and officials on both sides seem to have come closer to despising than sympathizing with their suffering captives.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Cruelty and corruption recognized no regional boundaries, and officials on both sides seem to have come closer to despising than sympathizing with their suffering captives.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despising
Verb
-
How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Our worst instincts as a society is manipulated from above — hating each other.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
America is offhandedly disregarding science.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Trump has instituted a pay-to-play system for his allies and unilaterally started wars while disregarding Congress’s authority as a coequal branch of government.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The idea is to appear sympathetic to well-meaning people whose attention lapsed momentarily, forgetting that their picnic spot was also a concert venue.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
For a while, Djena kept a bin with her clothes in Saran’s closet, until Saran threw it into the hallway, angry at Djena for forgetting to close her bedroom door.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
By 1845, Marx was scorning his colleagues for floating in the clouds.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despising. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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