Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

despise

/dɪˈspaɪz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.50 in modern English

Syllables
de-spise
IPA
/dɪˈspaɪz/
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To regard with contempt or scorn.

verb

To disregard or ignore.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English despisen, from Old French despis-, stem of despire, from Latin dēspicere (“to look down upon, despise, scorn”), from dē (“down”) + speciō (“to look at”). Displaced native Old English forsēon.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *speḱ-, despisen, despis-, dēspiciō

Inflected Forms

despises (present, singular) despising (participle, present) despised (participle, past) despised (past) dispise (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

despicable despisal despisement despiser despiseworthy despisingly despisingness undespising

Frequently Paired Words

despect despection despite vilipend contempt hate bah

Synonyms

contemn disdain scorn hate discount misregard take no notice of brush off disregard dissemble despise ignore

Antonyms

admire cherish honor respect treasure esteem idolize lay store by look up to prize hallow put store by

Rhymes With

guys eyes size rise surprise lies prize tries wise supplies dies ties

Questions

How do you pronounce despise?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈspaɪz/.
What does despise mean?
To regard with contempt or scorn.
Where does despise come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce despise

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “despise”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈspaɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “despise”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “despise” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.