despise
/dɪˈspaɪz/
verb
Origin
Latin
despicere — to look down upon
Overview
Meaning Now
- To feel a strong sense of contempt, disdain, or deep-seated dislike for someone or something.
- To look down upon or consider as unworthy of respect.
Literal older meaning
To look down upon
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
despisen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word entered English via Old French following the Norman Conquest, reflecting the Latin psychological concept of placing oneself in a position superior to another through a 'looking down' (disdain) gesture.
Evolution
- Latin
despicere
“to look down upon”
Composed of 'de-' (down) + 'specere' (to look).
- Old French
despis-
“to scorn or look down upon”
Stem variant of 'despire'.
- Middle English
despisen
“to hold in contempt”
- Modern English
despise
“to loathe or disdain”
Connections
Word parts
de-
prefix
down
spise
root
to look (from Latin specere)
Related across languages
French
dépiter
to vex or spite
Spanish
despreciar
to despise or undervalue
Related words
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Related to despise
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.