What is the difference between detest and abhor?
detest | abhor |
To dislike intensely; to loathe.
(obsolete) To witness against; to denounce; to condemn.
To regard with horror or detestation; to shrink back with shuddering from; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe.
* 1611 , Romans 12:9, (w):
(transitive, obsolete, impersonal) To fill with horror or disgust.
* c. 1604 (William Shakespeare), Othello , act 4, scene 1:
To turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.
(transitive, canon law, obsolete) To protest against; to reject solemnly.
* c. 1613 (William Shakespeare), Henry VIII , act 2, scene 4:
(obsolete) To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse;
* (Udall):
* (Milton):
(obsolete) Differ entirely from.
Abhor is a synonym of detest.
In transitive terms the difference between detest and abhor
is that detest is to dislike intensely; to loathe while abhor is to turn aside or avoid; to keep away from; to reject.detest
English
Verb
(en verb)- I detest snakes.
- Who dares think one thing, and another tell, / My heart detests him as the gates of hell. — Pope.
- The heresy of Nestorius was detested in the Eastern churches. — Fuller.
- God hath detested them with his own mouth. — Bale.
Usage notes
* This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . SeeSynonyms
* See alsoSee also
* abhor * despise * disdain * dislike * hate * loatheExternal links
* *Anagrams
*abhor
English
(Webster 1913)Verb
(abhorr)- Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
- It does abhor me now I speak the word.
- I utterly abhor , yea, from my soul Refuse you for my judge.
- To abhor from those vices.
- Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law.