detest
de·test/dɪˈtɛst/verb
detest is spelled D-E-T-E-S-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables (de·test). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,063rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, detest means “To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in detest?
| Letters | 6: D-E-T-E-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: de·test |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,063rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is detest?
Detest appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,063rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce detest?
- /dɪˈtɛst/
Detest has 2 syllables, split de·test in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-detest.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of detest
- detests present, singular, he/she/it
- detesting participle, present
- detested participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does detest mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.
I detest snakes.
- 2
obsoleteTo witness against; to denounce; to condemn.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Detest in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to dislike intensely:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does detest come from?
From Middle French detester (French détester), from Latin dētestor (“to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely”), from dē- + testor (“to testify, bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”); see test, testify. Doublet of detestate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).