despreciable
/des-pre-SYAH-bleh/
despicable
A despicable act, representing the moral judgment of 'despreciable'.
despreciable(adjective)
despicable
?moral judgment
,contemptible
?behavior that deserves hate
vile
?extremely unpleasant
📝 In Action
Mentirle a un amigo es un acto despreciable.
B2Lying to a friend is a despicable act.
Ese hombre es una persona despreciable por cómo trata a los demás.
B2That man is a despicable person because of how he treats others.
💡 Grammar Points
One size fits all
This word ends in -e, which means it doesn't change whether you are talking about a man or a woman. You can say 'un hombre despreciable' or 'una mujer despreciable'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Don't confuse with 'depreciable'
Mistake: "Using 'despreciable' when talking about a car losing value."
Correction: Use 'depreciable' for financial value and 'despreciable' for moral value or tiny amounts.
⭐ Usage Tips
Strong emotion
This is a very strong word. Only use it when you want to show serious disapproval or disgust toward someone's actions.
A negligible amount, showing the 'despreciable' size of the tiny grain.
despreciable(adjective)
negligible
?amounts or quantities
,insignificant
?not important enough to consider
📝 In Action
El riesgo de accidente es prácticamente despreciable.
C1The risk of an accident is practically negligible.
Hubo una cantidad despreciable de lluvia este mes.
B2There was an insignificant amount of rain this month.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Contexts
In this sense, the word is very common in academic writing to describe data that is so small it doesn't change the overall result.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: despreciable
Question 1 of 1
If a scientist says the error in a calculation is 'despreciable', what do they mean?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'despreciable' always mean 'evil'?
No. While it often describes a 'despicable' person or act, it is also frequently used in technical settings to mean 'insignificant' or 'tiny'.
How do I make it plural?
Just add -s: 'despreciables'. This works for both masculine and feminine nouns.