despise
/dɪˈspaɪz/ verb
Forms despises despising despised dispise
- verb To regard with contempt or scorn. “Katie despised video games because she saw them as a trashy, boring waste of time.”
- verb To disregard or ignore.
Synonyms
contemn disdain scorn hate discount misregard take no notice of brush off disregard dissemble ignore misheed neglect pass pass by pay no heed put aside set at nought shrug off slough
Antonyms
admire cherish honor respect treasure esteem idolize lay store by look up to prize hallow put store by
Etymology
From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”). Displaced native Old English forsēon.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a low opinion or contemptuous dislike of. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Prov. i. 7.
Etymology [OF. despis-, in some forms of despire to despise, fr. L. despicere, despectum, to look down upon, despise; de- + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy, and cf. Despicable, Despite.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “despise”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details