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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary de·spise (de·spised ; de·spis·ing) ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin despicere, from de- + specere to look — more at spy DATE 14th century 1. to look down on with contempt or aversion despised the weak 2. to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful Synonyms. despise , contemn , scorn , disdain mean to regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration. despise may suggest an emotional response ranging from strong dislike to loathing despises cowards contemn implies a vehement condemnation of a person or thing as low, vile, feeble, or ignominious contemns the image of women promoted by advertisers scorn implies a ready or indignant contempt scorns the very thought of retirement disdain implies an arrogant or supercilious aversion to what is regarded as unworthy disdained popular music English Etymology despise c.1300, from O.Fr . despis-, stem of despire, from L. despicere"look down on, scorn," from de- "down" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)).http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 despise des·pise / di5spaiz / verb[VN] (not used in the progressive tenses 不用于进行时) to dislike and have no respect for sb / sth 鄙视；蔑视；看不起: She despised gossip in any form. 她对任何形式的流言蜚语都嗤之以鼻。 He despised himself for being so cowardly. 他为自己如此怯懦而自惭形秽。 ⇨ note at hate Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English despise verb ADV. thoroughly | clearly | secretly He secretly despised his father. | openly PREP. for She thoroughly despised him for his weakness. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition v. Function: verb to regard as beneath one's notice and unworthy of consideration or interest FF1C;he had always despised the weakFF1E; Synonyms: abhor, contemn, disdain, look down, scorn, scout Related Words: abominate, detest, execrate, hate, loathe; reject, repudiate, spurn; avoid, eschew, renounce, shun; disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, snub Idioms: have no use for, look down one's nose at Contrasted Words: apprize, cherish, prize, treasure, value; admire, regard, respect Antonyms: appreciate, esteem Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged de·spise \də̇ˈspīz, dēˈ-\ transitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin despicere, from de- + spicere, specere to look — more at spy 1. a. : to look down on : think of (a person) as objectionable, reprehensible, discreditable, disgraceful : hold oneself above :regard as an inferior < that the young are in full revolt against them, and that the child born now may grow up to despise them — Times Literary Supplement > b. : to feel disrespect or aversion toward or disgust of : disdain , detest < despised the poor whites as creatures distinctly inferior to Negroes — H.L.Mencken > 2. a. : to regard (something) as negligible, worthless, distasteful, a nuisance, a disgrace < health comes first and good looks are not to be despised — J.M.Barzun > < submariners have always despised the need to evade in order to survive — S.D.Cutter > < they despise all forms of organized religion, yet luxuriate in theology historically considered — New York Herald Tribune Book Review > : think of or look on with shame, repugnance, disgust : loathe < that the spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and color — J.L.Cranmer-Byng > b. : to ignore or scorn as not worth taking steps to avoid or counter : spurn < he was in a state to despise consequences — Arnold Bennett > 3. now dialect : dislike , scorn < despise to vote for a party controlled from the outside — R.B.Vance > Synonyms: contemn , scorn , disdain , scout : despise , implying any emotional reaction from strong disfavor to loathing, stresses the judging of a thing as mean, petty, worthless, or repulsive, and a consequent, often derisive, looking down upon it < when the inferior creature appreciates us, we cease to despise her — George Meredith > < an enemy… he loathed and hated, never despised — Laura Krey > < to despise certain foods > contemn suggests a somewhat harsher though more intellectual judgment and condemnation than despise < his own early drawings of moss roses and picturesque castles — things that he now mercilessly contemned — Arnold Bennett > < the human need of entertainment as a counterbalance in modern life is contemned by the serious novelists as “escapism” — A.C.Ward > scorn implies quick, indignant or profound contempt, especially vocal or visible < they scorn decorative chrome on the body, and remove it ruthlessly to reduce the car to its cleanest lines — Lamp > < the Welshmen so scorned the Saxons that they refused to extend to them the blessings of Christianity in the third century — O.S.J.Gogarty > disdain suggests a supercilious and visible contempt for or aversion to something regarded as unworthy < the psychiatric patient is disdained and ridiculed by his fellow inmates — R.S.Banay > < despised by those superior persons who disdain her as old-fashioned — M.R.Cohen > scout stresses the rejection or dismissal with ridicule of anything (as a person or idea) one considers unworthy of consideration < his Majesty will be most provoked if his ideas are scouted — C.S.Forester > < we scorned presentiments and scouted occult influences — F.W.Crofts > |
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