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despreciar

des-pre-thyahr/despreˈθjaɾ/

to look down on, to despise

Also: to scorn
VerbB1regular ar
A person standing on a small hill looking away with their nose in the air while another person waves from below.
gerunddespreciando
past Participledespreciado
infinitivedespreciar

📝 In Action

No debes despreciar a nadie por su apariencia.

A2

You shouldn't look down on anyone because of their appearance.

Él despreciaba las opiniones de los demás.

B1

He used to look down on others' opinions.

Es triste ver cómo algunos desprecian el trabajo manual.

B2

It's sad to see how some despise manual labor.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • menospreciar (to undervalue)
  • desdeñar (to disdain)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • despreciar profundamente – to despise deeply
  • sentirse despreciado – to feel looked down upon

to reject, to disregard

VerbB2regular ar
A person pushing away a plate containing a single bruised, brown banana.
gerunddespreciando
past Participledespreciado
infinitivedespreciar

📝 In Action

No puedes despreciar una oferta de trabajo tan buena.

B1

You can't turn down such a good job offer.

Despreciaron el peligro y cruzaron el bosque de noche.

C1

They disregarded the danger and crossed the forest at night.

Ella despreció mi regalo sin siquiera abrirlo.

B2

She rejected my gift without even opening it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • despreciar una oportunidad – to turn down an opportunity

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdespreciaran
yodespreciara
túdespreciaras
vosotrosdespreciarais
nosotrosdespreciáramos
él/ella/usteddespreciara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesprecien
yodesprecie
túdesprecies
vosotrosdespreciéis
nosotrosdespreciemos
él/ella/usteddesprecie

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdespreciaron
yodesprecié
túdespreciaste
vosotrosdespreciasteis
nosotrosdespreciamos
él/ella/usteddespreció

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdespreciaban
yodespreciaba
túdespreciabas
vosotrosdespreciabais
nosotrosdespreciábamos
él/ella/usteddespreciaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdesprecian
yodesprecio
túdesprecias
vosotrosdespreciáis
nosotrosdespreciamos
él/ella/usteddesprecia
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "despreciar" in Spanish:

to despise→to scorn→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: despreciar

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence correctly uses the personal 'a' with 'despreciar'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'despectare', a more intense version of 'despicere' (to look down), which combines 'de-' (down) and 'specere' (to look). It is also related to the word 'precio' (price), literally meaning to 'take the price/value away' from something.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: despiseFrench: mépriser

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'despreciar' the same as 'odiar'?

Not exactly. 'Odiar' means to hate (a strong negative emotion). 'Despreciar' is more about looking down on someone or thinking they are worth nothing. You can despise someone without actively hating them.

Is 'despreciar' a very rude word?

It is a strong word, but not 'bad language'. It describes a negative attitude, so using it about your own feelings can sound quite harsh.

Can I use 'despreciar' for things instead of people?

Yes! You can 'despreciar' an object, a gift, or an idea if you think it has no value.