detest
verbNAmE//dɪˈtɛst//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they detest he / she / it detests
past simple detested
- dislike
- can't stand
- despise
- can't bear
- loathe
- detest
- hate to have a strong feeling of dislike for someone or something Although hate is generally a very strong verb, it is also commonly used in spoken or informal English to talk about people or things that you dislike in a less important way, for example a particular type of food:He hates violence in any form. I've always hated cabbage.
- dislike (somewhat formal) to not like someone or something Dislike is a somewhat formal word; it is less formal, and more usual, to say that you don't like someone or something, especially in spoken English:I don't like it when you call me so late at night.
- can't stand (somewhat informal) used to emphasize that you really do not like someone or something:I can't stand his brother. She couldn't stand to be kept waiting.
- despise to dislike and have no respect for someone or something:He despised himself for being so cowardly.
- can't bear used to say that you dislike something so much that you cannot accept or deal with it:I can't bear the thought of being without you.
- In many cases you can use either expression, but can't bear is stronger and more formal than can't stand.
- loathe (formal) to hate someone or something very much:They loathe each other. Loathe is generally an even stronger verb than hate, but it can also be used more informally to say that you “really don't like” something:I loathe country music.
- detest (somewhat formal) to hate someone or something very much:They absolutely detest each other.
- I hate/dislike/can't stand/can't bear/loathe/detest doing something
- I hate/can't stand to do something
- I hate/dislike/can't stand/can't bear it when…
- I really hate/dislike/can't stand/despise/can't bear/detest somebody/something
- I absolutely hate/can't stand/loathe/detest somebody/something
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NAmE//ˌditɛˈsteɪʃn//
noun [uncountable]See detest in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: detest