What does despise mean?
Despise is a verb meaning to regard someone or something with contempt, scorn, or strong disrespect — to consider it worthless, inferior, or beneath one's regard. It is more intense than simple dislike: to despise a person is to judge them morally lacking, and to despise a practice is to reject it as base or contemptible. The word takes a direct object and appears frequently in phrases such as 'despise someone for something'. Its emotional force makes it common in both literature and everyday speech, from political criticism ('they despised corruption') to personal feeling ('she despised being underestimated'). Etymologically it comes from Latin despicere, 'to look down on', formed from de- ('down') and specere ('to look'), making it a literal ancestor-image of looking down upon something. Related forms include despicable, despiser, and despisal.
verbTo feel contempt or a strong lack of respect for someone or something, regarding it as worthless, inferior, or deserving scorn.
- To feel contempt or deep dislike for a person or thing considered unworthy or inferior.
- (Less common) To regard with scorn or dismissiveness, as in rejecting an offer or advice.
"She despised the hypocrisy of colleagues who praised integrity in public and betrayed it in private."
"He grew to despise the noise and congestion of city life."
"The old general despised flattery, trusting only blunt honesty."
Despise literally means 'to look down at' — its Latin root combines de- ('down') with specere ('to look'), the same root that gives us 'spectator' and 'spectacle'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of despise
Despise derives from the Latin verb despicere, meaning 'to look down on' or 'to scorn', formed from the prefix de- ('down') plus specere ('to look'). It entered English in the Middle Ages via Old French despire or directly from Latin, and has retained its sense of contemptuous regard ever since. It shares its Latin root specere with words such as spectator, inspect, and spectacle, as well as with the adjective despicable ('deserving to be looked down on') and the preposition despite.
Related word forms
How despise is actually used
Despise is stronger than 'dislike' and typically implies moral judgment or contempt rather than mere personal distaste. It takes a direct object (people, things, actions) and is common in both formal and everyday registers, though it carries an emphatic, often emotional tone.
Easily confused with despise
Despite is a preposition meaning 'in spite of', while despise is a verb meaning to feel contempt for something.