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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

despicable

Adjective

IPA /dɪˈspɪkəbl/

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Meaning in plain English

So morally bad that it deserves strong dislike and criticism.

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Pronunciation

despicable/dɪˈspɪkəbl/

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  1. A neighbour offers trust

  2. Someone exploits it to steal

  3. Strong moral disapproval

Despicable behaviour is so morally bad that it deserves strong condemnation.

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  1. Stealing money from a neighbour who trusted you is despicable.
  2. The class discussed the villain's despicable treatment of his assistant.

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Stealing money from a neighbour who trusted you is ________.
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despicable — So morally bad that it deserves strong dislike and criticism.

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So morally bad that it deserves strong dislike and criticism.

Compare: Stealing money from a neighbour who trusted you is despicable.

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Word origin

From Latin despicabilis, related to despicari, meaning to look down on.

Did you know?

Despicable commonly describes behaviour, acts or people that the speaker strongly condemns.

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despicable

/dɪˈspɪkəbl/ (Adjective)

“Despicable is a strong expression of moral disapproval. Avoid it for a minor annoyance or ordinary mistake.”

englishskillstudio.com