Detest
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /dɪˈtɛst/
Origin
From Middle French detester, from Latin detestari ("to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely"), from de- + testari ("to testify, bear witness"), from testis ("a witness"); see test, testify.
Full definition of detest
Verb
- (transitive) To dislike intensely; to loathe.I detest snakes.Who dares think one thing, and another tell,
My heart detests him as the gates of hell. — Pope. - (obsolete) To witness against; to denounce; to condemn.The heresy of Nestorius ... was detested in the Eastern churches. — Fuller.God hath detested them with his own mouth. — Bale.
Usage notes
This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See