First Known Use: circa 1535
Dictionary
detest
verb de·test \di-ˈtest, dē-\
: to dislike (someone or something) very strongly
Full Definition of DETEST
transitive verb
1
: to feel intense and often violent antipathy toward : loathe
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Origin of DETEST
Middle French detester or Latin detestari; Middle French detester, from Latin detestari, literally, to curse while calling a deity to witness, from de- + testari to call to witness — more at testament
Synonym Discussion of DETEST
hate, detest, abhor, abominate, loathe mean to feel strong aversion or intense dislike for. hate implies an emotional aversion often coupled with enmity or malice <hated the enemy with a passion>. detest suggests violent antipathy <detests cowards>. abhor implies a deep often shuddering repugnance <a crime abhorred by all>. abominate suggests strong detestation and often moral condemnation <abominates all forms of violence>. loathe implies utter disgust and intolerance <loathed the mere sight of them>.
Rhymes with DETEST
abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, arrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, behest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, devest, digest, distressed, divest, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West
DETEST Defined for Kids
detest
verb de·test \di-ˈtest\
de·test·edde·test·ing
Definition of DETEST for Kids
: to dislike very much
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