Standard Lemma guide

detestable

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /dɪˈtɛstəbl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Stimulating disgust or detestation; offensive; shocking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • detestable person
  • detestable food
  • detestable woman
  • detestable manners

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

unequivocally detestable- Edmund Burke

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • abominable treatment of prisoners
  • detestable vices
  • execrable crimes
  • consequences odious to those you govern

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abominable, execrable, odious

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

offensive to the mind

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an abhorrent deed
  • the obscene massacre at Wounded Knee
  • morally repugnant customs
  • repulsive behavior
  • the most repulsive character in recent novels

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abhorrent, obscene, repugnant, repulsive

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle French détestable. By surface analysis, detest + -able.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: противен (protiven) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Bulgarian: омразен (omrazen) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Catalan: detestable — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Esperanto: abomeninda — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Finnish: inhottava — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Finnish: vastenmielinen — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Finnish: kauhistuttava — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Greek: αξιομίσητος (axiomísitos) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Irish: gráiniúil — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Latin: dētestābilis — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Latin: dīrus — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Macedonian: гна́сен (gnásen) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Macedonian: га́ден (gáden) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Macedonian: о́двратен (ódvraten) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Macedonian: о́мразен (ómrazen) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Portuguese: detestável — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Russian: мерзкий (merzkij) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Russian: омерзительный (omerzitelʹnyj) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Russian: гнусный (gnusnyj) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Russian: отвратительный (otvratitelʹnyj) — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Spanish: detestable — stimulating disgust or detestation
  • Swedish: avskyvärd — stimulating disgust or detestation