detestable
adjective
de·test·able
di-ˈte-stə-bəl 
dē-
: arousing or meriting intense dislike : abominable
detestableness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of detestable in a Sentence
He is a detestable villain.
the detestable actions of a nasty little man
Recent Examples on the Web
This all came on the heels of a family tragedy that made my job seem even more detestable and stupid.
—
Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
And many could withhold their votes in November, returning the White House key to the detestable Donald Trump.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
In telling its parable about the problems of wealth concentration so well, Succession was hilarious yet horrifying, small yet large, and relatable yet detestable.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
If the Russian soldiers were sometimes alarmingly young, the Donbas militiamen looked much too old and out of shape to be at war, and while the Russians were at first cordial, the militiamen made a point of being detestable.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
Anne Souder’s embodiment of the Chorus was helpless to stave off the detestable fate of Xin Ying’s brooding, brutal and human Medea.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
And how a beloved author could have been a detestable human.
—Jessica Ferri, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
That partially explains the expansion of the detestable chorus from the school itself to its sponsor.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2022
Those who find the presence of Fox News on their cable menus detestable should let their cable operators know it.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
And many could withhold their votes in November, returning the White House key to the detestable Donald Trump.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
In telling its parable about the problems of wealth concentration so well, Succession was hilarious yet horrifying, small yet large, and relatable yet detestable.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
If the Russian soldiers were sometimes alarmingly young, the Donbas militiamen looked much too old and out of shape to be at war, and while the Russians were at first cordial, the militiamen made a point of being detestable.
—James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023
Anne Souder’s embodiment of the Chorus was helpless to stave off the detestable fate of Xin Ying’s brooding, brutal and human Medea.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2023
And how a beloved author could have been a detestable human.
—Jessica Ferri, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
That partially explains the expansion of the detestable chorus from the school itself to its sponsor.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2022
Those who find the presence of Fox News on their cable menus detestable should let their cable operators know it.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detestable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of detestable was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near detestable
Cite this Entry
“Detestable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detestable. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
detestable
adjective
de·test·able
di-ˈtes-tə-bəl
: arousing or deserving strong dislike : abominable
More from Merriam-Webster on detestable
Nglish: Translation of detestable for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of detestable for Arabic Speakers
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