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detest

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To dislike intensely; abhor.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To hold worthy of malediction; execrate; hate; dislike intensely: as, to detest crimes or meanness.
  • Synonyms Abhor, Detest, etc. (see hate); to execrate, View with horror.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To witness against; to denounce; to condemn.
  • transitive verb To hate intensely; to abhor; to abominate; to loathe.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To dislike intensely; to loathe.
  • verb obsolete To witness against; to denounce; to condemn.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb dislike intensely; feel antipathy or aversion towards

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French détester, from Latin dētestārī, to curse : dē-, de- + testārī, to invoke (from testis, witness; see trei- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French detester, from Latin detestari ("to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely"), from de- + testari ("to testify, bear witness"), from testis ("a witness"); see test, testify.

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Examples

  • You know I am only six miles away -- little more than half an hour's drive, and though I hate Bartram, and detest Silas -- Yes, I _detest

    Uncle Silas A Tale of Bartram-Haugh Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu 1843

  • But what I detest is the attitude you display in your responses … …. patronising and belittling.

    All We Ever Wanted Was Everything « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2008

  • I\'d use the word detest, but then I might be accused by apologists like Fred Barnes of harboring an irrational hatred of Bush.

    Is it Rational to Hate George Bush? 2007

  • I’d use the word detest, but then I might be accused by apologists like Fred Barnes of harboring an irrational hatred of Bush.

    Is it Rational to Hate George Bush? 2007

  • By and large, I hate - perhaps I should add "detest" - these Wall Street

    Forbes.com: News Bill Singer 2011

  • To use a phrase I detest just 4 fun - repeat and rinse.

    The Guardian World News Graeme Wearden 2011

  • It's a process members detest, which is why many have wished Rangel would resign, getting them off the hook for having to judge their colleague.

    NPR Topics: News 2010

  • It's a process members detest, which is why many have wished Rangel would resign, getting them off the hook for having to judge their colleague.

    NPR Topics: News 2010

  • It's a process members detest, which is why many have wished Rangel would resign, getting them off the hook for having to judge their colleague.

    NPR Topics: News 2010

  • Assuming you are correct and not just biased in your assumption that people "detest" Hillary, she has no one to blame but herself and her campaign for it.

    Obama On Veep Talk: Clintons Are Trying To "Hoodwink" You 2009

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