Detest — De*test , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Detested}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Detesting}.] [L. detestare, detestatum, and detestari, to curse while calling a deity to witness, to execrate, detest; de + testari to be a witness, testify, testis a witness: cf. F. d[… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
detest — [dē test′, ditest′] vt. [Fr détester < L detestari, to curse by calling the gods to witness, execrate, detest < de , down + testari, to witness < testis, a witness: see TESTIFY] to dislike intensely; hate; abhor SYN. HATE detester n … English World dictionary
detest — index contemn, disdain, reject, renounce Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
detest — early 15c., to curse, to call God to witness and abhor, from M.Fr. détester, from L. detestari to curse, execrate, abominate, express abhorrence for, lit. denounce with one s testimony, from de from, down (see DE (Cf. de )) + testari be a witness … Etymology dictionary
detest — *hate, abhor, abominate, loathe Analogous words: *despise, contemn, scorn, disdain: spurn, repudiate, reject (see DECLINE vb) Antonyms: adore (sense 2) Contrasted words: love, *like, dote, fancy, relish: cherish, prize, treasure, value,… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
detest — [v] hate; feel disgust toward abhor, abominate, be allergic to, despise, dislike intensely, down on, execrate, feel aversion toward, feel hostility toward, feel repugnance toward, have no use for*, loathe, recoil from, reject, repudiate; concept… … New thesaurus
detest — ► VERB ▪ dislike intensely. ORIGIN Latin detestari denounce, abhor , from testari witness … English terms dictionary
detest — v. 1) (G) he detests working 2) (K) we detest his constantly lying * * * [dɪ test] (G) he detests working (K) we detest his constantly lying … Combinatory dictionary
detest — UK [dɪˈtest] / US verb [transitive] Word forms detest : present tense I/you/we/they detest he/she/it detests present participle detesting past tense detested past participle detested to hate someone or something … English dictionary
detest — verb To dislike intensely I detest snakes. See Also: detestable, detestation … Wiktionary
detest — [16] Latin dētestārī, source of detest, meant ‘denounce’. It was a compound verb formed from the pejorative prefix dē and testārī ‘bear witness’. This in turn was a derivative of testis ‘witness’, source of English testify, testimony, and… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
