detest
Definitions
To dislike something or someone intensely; to loathe
厌恶，憎恨，痛恨
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (down, here with a cursing force) + test (call to witness) = Latin detestārī, to denounce something while calling the gods as witnesses — to curse it under oath. That solemn condemnation cooled into plain strong dislike, which is why detest feels far hotter than 'dislike.'
Root test still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
Detest carries the ghost of a curse. In Latin, detestārī meant to denounce something with the gods as your witnesses — a kind of sworn condemnation. The oath has fallen away, but the intensity remains: to detest is not mild dislike, it is hatred you would swear to.
Common Collocations
- 1.detest violence厌恶暴力
- 2.detest dishonesty厌恶不诚实
- 3.detest being (interrupted)讨厌被（打扰）
Example Sentences
- 1.
I detest people who lie to get ahead.
- 2.
She detests being kept waiting.
- 3.
He detested everything the company stood for.
Synonym Comparison
- detest — intense, almost visceral hatred: I detest cruelty.
- hate — the everyday strong word, broadest in use.
- loathe — close to detest, stresses disgust: I loathe the smell.
- abhor — formal, moral revulsion: abhor violence.
- despise — adds contempt, looking down on: despise cowardice.