detest
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“To know my father was to love him. To know him was to detest and dislike him, as well,” his daughter Marjorie Shreiber Roshkoff said at his funeral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
People detest her and Prince Harry for stepping back from their royal duties and even more so for going public about what life was like for them.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2025
“I detest it, the mere idea of it,” Freeman told Variety in a recent interview about “The Gray House,” a historical drama series about the work of Union spies during the Civil War.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024
Not only do the Fremen detest colonizers mining their planet for spice and often attack them, the mining operation is also a dangerous activity in and of itself.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
When called upon, I delivered an effortless list of things that I detest: blood sausage, intestinal pates, brain pudding, I’d learned these words the hard way.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
![]()
He values skill, graciousness, and intellect and detests wanton corruption — especially when it touches him or someone he cares about.
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025
Beijing detests Lai, whom it believes is a separatist.
From Reuters ● Oct. 23, 2023
This, in a sport that absolutely detests nuance.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 9, 2023
Those who know him well say he detests opposition.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2023
“The only person that made any sense in the dream was Professor Tupper. I mean he was the only person that was there that I know really detests me.”
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
![]()
She detested the East Coast avatars of apocalypse, like Nathanael West, who saw only doom and gloom in sunny L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
A boisterous protest greeted fans arriving at SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, with demonstrators waving the pre-revolutionary flag detested by the leaders of the Islamic republic.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
His father, Kenneth, was a conscientious objector who detested social injustice, nuclear weapons and smoking in equal measure.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
As much as he detested the abuse that officials received, he was clear that fielding some boos was part of the job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Yet she detested that “most meaningless of phrases, ‘plain Miss Smith.’”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
![]()
There’s messaging about neighbors with different political views co-existing amicably – or, if not that, detesting each other for reasons other than politics.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2025
“I’ve always had this sort of magical-thinking way of detesting my previous books as a way of pushing myself forward,” she told the Washington Square Review in 2015.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
Also detesting the invasion is Maria Yumasheva, the 19-year-old daughter of Russian real estate developer Valentin Yumashev and his wife Tatyana Borisovna.
From Fox News ● Mar. 5, 2022
A reader called me out on it, saying that there’s a difference between disagreeing with a position and detesting a person.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2021
Other-writers tell us that they were a worthy people, averse to war, allied to virtue, to cleanliness, and good manners, detesting falsehood and treachery.
From Aztec Land by Maturin Murray Ballou
Vocabulary lists containing detest
Tears of a Tiger
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Stargirl
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!