easy
He seemed to despise unfair rules.
What does Despise mean?
Despise means strongly dislike.
Dictionary definition
To strongly dislike or feel no respect for someone or something.
Example sentences
Despise in a sentence
medium
The character began to despise the villain's selfish choices.
hard
A story can show why someone grows to despise cruelty or dishonesty.
Writing practice
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Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Despise
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does despise mean?
Despise means to strongly dislike or feel no respect for someone or something.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses despise correctly?
This sentence uses despise to mean strongly dislike.
Practice 3
Which word is an antonym of despise?
Admire means respect or look up to, which is the opposite of despise.
Practice complete
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You completed 3 questions.
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Despise
Voice settings
Sounds like
dih · spyz · strongest beat: spyz
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordDespise.
Partverb.
MeaningDespise means strongly dislike.
ExampleExample: He seemed to despise unfair rules.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- dih · spyz
- Strongest beat
- spyz
- Ending
- spyz
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on spyz.
Your turn
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Nice work—you practiced despise.
Synonyms
Words like Despise
hateUse for very strong dislike.
detestUse for a strong feeling of dislike or disgust.
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice despise synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "In the story, the character learned not to despise hard work," then compare close word choices. Practice despise synonyms.
Word family
Despise word family
Base word
despise
verb
despise
To strongly dislike.
verb
despised
Strongly disliked in the past.
verb
despising
Strongly disliking now.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Despise
Hint for students
Despise means strongly dislike.
Common mix-up
Despise is not the same as admire. Despise means despise means strongly dislike.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: The character began to despise the villain's selfish choices. Clue words: character, began, villain's. Underline clue words that show why despise fits instead of admire. Now write one new sentence that shows despise without using the word despise. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show despise?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "The character began to despise the villain's selfish choices." Why does despise fit better than admire?
Learning activities
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