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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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 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

Alice King Sacramento Hated rival Glad to hear the new San Diego Padres owner is a longtime Yankees fan, therefore hating the Dodgers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Yet the recent swirl of negative discourse around influencer culture has felt different, in part because hating influencers is no longer just a snarky internet pastime.

— Laura Jung, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of hating

Verb

Ellison says that email was sent to the company's firearms compliance team, but a team member admitted to disregarding the email in a deposition.

— Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
The Fed focuses on underlying inflation, often disregarding volatile factors like tariffs or energy price swings, especially amidst the Iran War.

— Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of despising

verb

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