1
as in hatred
a very strong dislike
a congenital detestation of injustice, which drove her to become an activist for civil rights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enemy
something or someone that is hated
the family's pickiest eater is quite vehement in expressing his feelings about boiled cabbage, a particular detestation of his
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detestation
How Nelson is reformulated from one who feels desire to one who feels detestation (as well as shame for having desired) is the remarkable achievement of both the story and the storyteller and the system that requires it.
—
Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Media coverage oscillated wildly between sycophantic applause and puritanical scrutiny - celebrities made to traipse an ephemeral, razor thin line between public adoration and detestation.
—Colin Scanlon, Redbook, 4 Aug. 2023
That was the level of detestation and dedication to overturning Roe.
—Tara Kole, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 July 2022
Others balance their detestation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine against other concerns.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 21 Mar. 2022
Here all the liturgical phrases of the 19th-century religion of progress, which had seemed hollow and platitudinous to a young man growing up in America in detestation of the Sunday supplements, rang true.
—John Dos Passos, National Review, 28 Sep. 2020
Germany has set aside its traditional detestation for debt to unleash emergency spending, while enabling the rest of the European Union to breach limits on deficits.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020
Literary Hub, 3 Feb. 2026
Between the lines: Many undecideds are painfully trying to balance their sense of obligation with their detestation for Trump, as USA Today first detailed on Thursday.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
One of the most memorable chapters epitomizes her detestation for the ultra-wealthy and pompous intellectuals who rushed to rationalize her work.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024
Media coverage oscillated wildly between sycophantic applause and puritanical scrutiny - celebrities made to traipse an ephemeral, razor thin line between public adoration and detestation.
—Colin Scanlon, Redbook, 4 Aug. 2023
That was the level of detestation and dedication to overturning Roe.
—Tara Kole, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 July 2022
Others balance their detestation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine against other concerns.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 21 Mar. 2022
Here all the liturgical phrases of the 19th-century religion of progress, which had seemed hollow and platitudinous to a young man growing up in America in detestation of the Sunday supplements, rang true.
—John Dos Passos, National Review, 28 Sep. 2020
Germany has set aside its traditional detestation for debt to unleash emergency spending, while enabling the rest of the European Union to breach limits on deficits.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detestation
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These are effective, but require attacks to be initiated from outside enemy airspace.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
People of faith are not so easily deterred from speaking truth to power, even to power unafraid to drop bombs on its enemies.—
Ciera Bates-Chamberlain,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These findings echo a broader pattern political scientists call affective polarization: the replacement of disagreement with abhorrence.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
-
When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.—
Michael Bloomberg,
Twin Cities,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The difference is Netflix had, at best, an antipathy towards the theatrical experience.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The president’s antipathy for Mueller was on full display throughout the course of the Russia investigation, with Mueller – whose tenure as FBI director ended well before Trump took office – brought out of retirement by Trump’s own Justice Department to serve as special counsel.—
Josh Campbell,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Efforts to track groups whose hate might turn violent are further complicated by the nebulous, ever-shifting nature of extremism on social media.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
So far, no one has been arrested, but officials said a couple of cases have been documented as hate-crime investigations.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Scatterty co-authored a 2023 paper demonstrating an aversion in zebrafish to infrasound, specifically an anxiety response that caused the fish to avoid certain tank areas.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Online, this aversion to cringe has taken many forms.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Festivalgoers should expect petition endeavors aimed at mellowing out Idaho’s legal phobia about marijuana.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Apr. 2026
-
His father has many food phobias and drug issues.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Civic spending in all but eight states testifies to the fact that the Lost Cause fantasy was not an aberration or an abomination, but the reality across the country.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
-
While people sometimes express this view in jest, others believe the fake environment borders on a cultural abomination.—
Adam Kadlac,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detestation. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
