detestable
gb/dɪtˈɛstəbəl/ us/dɪtˈɛstəbəl/
C1
English
~ 9700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
deserving strong dislike or hatred
Very bad or wrong and making people feel strong hate or disgust.
Usage pattern:
[someone] finds [something] detestable
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "detestable" for small, everyday dislikes, such as food tastes (e.g., "This soup is detestable"). While not wrong, in modern English it usually sounds too strong or formal for simple preferences; "I don't like this soup" or "This soup is disgusting" is more natural. Learners may also confuse "detestable" with "detested": "He is a detested man" (past participle) vs. "He is detestable" (has the quality of deserving hate).
Synonyms
hateful (Slightly more emotional and common; can describe people or things that strongly upset or anger you.)
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disgusting (Focuses more on physical or emotional disgust; less formal and more often used in everyday speech.)
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abhorrent (Very formal and strong; often used for behavior or ideas that are morally shocking.)
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repellent (Emphasizes pushing people away because something is deeply unpleasant or offensive.)
Antonyms
admirable (Highlights that something is worthy of respect and approval, the opposite of being hated.)
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lovable (Stresses that someone or something easily makes people feel affection, not hatred.)
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appealing (Focuses on being attractive or pleasing instead of unpleasant and hated.)
Collocations
detestable habit
|detestable behavior
|morally detestable
|utterly detestable
|detestable crime
|detestable person
Themes
emotions
|opinions
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I find his cruel jokes absolutely detestable.
- Many people consider animal testing for cosmetics morally detestable.
- Her detestable behavior at the meeting shocked everyone in the room.
- The dictator was known for his detestable abuse of power.
- They described the conditions in the prison as detestable and inhuman.
Learner examples
- I think lying to a friend is detestable.
- She finds violence in movies detestable.
- Many people see that law as detestable and unfair.
- His detestable comments made everyone angry.
- The workers protested the company’s detestable treatment of staff.
Grammar
Dictionary form
detestable
IPA
GB/dɪtˈɛstəbəl/
US/dɪtˈɛstəbəl/
Syllables & stress
de - test - able (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (test)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: detestable
Word family
Core family
detest
verb C1
Advanced or less common
detestation
noun
detestably
adverb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.