as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the detestable actions of a nasty little man
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Recent Examples of detestable
Social media soon was flooded with posts from people who found the character detestable, and the actor had no problem with that.
—
Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
If ever there was a time to eat your peas, asparagus and a buffet table of other detestable vegetables, Friday was it.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
What’s more, a loss at Hell in a Cell could also force McIntyre to become an even more detestable heel in the weeks and months ahead.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
As if being Jewish had become something really murky, vaguely suspect, possibly detestable.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
If ever there was a time to eat your peas, asparagus and a buffet table of other detestable vegetables, Friday was it.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
What’s more, a loss at Hell in a Cell could also force McIntyre to become an even more detestable heel in the weeks and months ahead.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
As if being Jewish had become something really murky, vaguely suspect, possibly detestable.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detestable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detestable
Adjective
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Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Newsweek's efforts to politicize the death of these individuals, including the reporter's request to confirm names and locations of death, are vile.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Firms carrying out an immoral contract in court may face other discipline.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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This legislation made its way through Congress back then in part because there was societal acceptance of the false belief that the Chinese were immutably immoral and threatening.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The scene will portray oil workers getting in their trucks and heading to work, thus a dirty vehicle is a must.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2025
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Some sprays work for up to 24 hours after application and are suitable for the dirtiest areas, such as bathrooms.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His other performances included as Robert De Niro’s nasty henchman in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995); as Marlon Brando’s insane assistant in John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) and as the suave crook Simon Templar in Phillip Noyce’s The Saint (1997).—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
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The veteran forward took a nasty fall with 3:21 left in the fourth quarter, landed hard on his tailbone, and spent minutes down on the court surrounded by teammates and coaches.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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The cruelest part is that the good ones are mixed with the bad ones.—
Matt Rivers,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At the time, some of LeBron’s critics saw this as contemptible.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Schimel was accused of giving plea deals to despicable criminals.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
6 Apr. 2025
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Hoult is coming off a trio of starring turns late last year that showcased his range, playing a cold white supremacist in Justin Kurzel’s The Order, a conflicted husband in Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2, and a man fighting a despicable vampire in Robert Egger’s lush Gothic drama Nosferatu.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Softened by pride, Amber slinks away herself, albeit much more cutely than Gregory and accompanied by a vicious side-eye.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
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The Kansas City Glory’s season opener was set to begin on Saturday afternoon, but viral sensation Elena Easley was sitting on the field, experiencing a vicious headache.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detestable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detestable. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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