də̇ˈtest, dēˈ- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English detesten, from Latin detestari, literally, to curse while calling a deity to witness, from de from, down, away + testari to be a witness, testify, invoke as a witness, from testis witness — more at de- , testis
1. : to dislike intensely : abhor , loathe , hate
she delights in wrangles, noises, drafts, and almost everything that older people detest — E.K.Brown
2. obsolete : curse , denounce , condemn
Synonyms: see hate