DESPISING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

despising

verb

present participle of despise

as in hating

to dislike strongly I despise anchovies on pizza, and I refuse to eat them!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disregarding

to ignore in a disrespectful manner a traitor hated and despised by the whole community

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of despising For example, Scalia famously cast the deciding vote in 1989 to hold unconstitutional a law criminalizing burning the American flag despite being a big patriot and despising such activities. — Brian Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 In a classic enemies-to-lovers plot, Sully and Helen go from despising one another to falling head over heels. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026 Haney reminded jurors that despising the rich isn’t a crime, much less an abnormal opinion. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026 Larson’s son Lane, then 9, had grown up loving the Bulldogs and despising their rivals, and made his feelings clear. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026 Cruelty and corruption recognized no regional boundaries, and officials on both sides seem to have come closer to despising than sympathizing with their suffering captives. — Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026 That’s not the case with Bertha’s son, Larry (Harry Richardson), who seems to have joined his father in absolutely despising Bertha by the end of the season. — Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for despising

Verb

The actors will soon slip into their 1967 costumes as the impoverished Greasers and the privileged Socs — and spend the next two hours hating each other onstage.

— Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham turns her attention to Missouri football and wears a hat that sends a simple, yet blunt message to the woman-hating WNBA girls.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of hating

Verb

Shaming people for disregarding the awesome nature of wisdom might appear a gross violation of their freedom of conscience.

— Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
China criticized Lai’s speech, accusing him of disregarding facts and misleading the public.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of disregarding

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despises

despising

despite

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“Despising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despising. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of despising

verb

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