detesto

deh-TES-toh/deˈtesto/

“detesto” means “I detest” in Spanish (Expressing strong dislike).

I detest, I hate

Also: I loathe

VerbB1regular ar

A simple cartoon person with a visibly disgusted expression recoiling strongly from a single large green vegetable on a table, holding their hand up in a 'stop' gesture.

past Participledetestado

infinitivedetestar

gerunddetestando

📝 In Action

Detesto levantarme temprano los fines de semana.

I hate getting up early on weekends.

Si detesto el ajo, ¿por qué lo pones en todo?

If I detest garlic, why do you put it in everything?

Detesto la injusticia, es algo que no tolero.

I detest injustice; it's something I can't tolerate.

Word Connections

Synonyms

odiar (to hate)
aborrecer (to loathe)

Antonyms

amar (to love)
adorar (to adore)

Common Collocations

detesto profundamente – I profoundly detest
detesto ese tipo de gente – I detest that type of people

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

vosotrosdetestáis

él/ella/usteddetesta

túdetestas

yodetesto

nosotrosdetestamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetestan

preterite

vosotrosdetestasteis

él/ella/usteddetestó

túdetestaste

yodetesté

nosotrosdetestamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetestaron

imperfect

vosotrosdetestabais

él/ella/usteddetestaba

túdetestabas

yodetestaba

nosotrosdetestábamos

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetestaban

subjunctive

present

vosotrosdetestéis

él/ella/usteddeteste

túdetestes

yodeteste

nosotrosdetestemos

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetesten

imperfect

vosotrosdetestarais

él/ella/usteddetestara

túdetestaras

yodetestara

nosotrosdetestáramos

ellos/ellas/ustedesdetestaran

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "detesto" in Spanish:

i detest→i hate→i loathe→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: detesto

Question 1 of 2

Which of these phrases is the correct way to say 'I detest that movie'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

detestar(to detest (infinitive)) — Verb

detestable(detestable, hateful) — Adjective

detestación(detestation, hatred) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

estopresto

📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *detestari*, which literally meant 'to curse by calling a deity to witness' or 'to denounce.' Over time, the meaning softened from denouncing something publicly to simply holding a strong, hateful feeling toward it.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: detestareFrench: détester

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'detesto' stronger than 'odio' (I hate)?

They are very close in meaning and often interchangeable. 'Detestar' sometimes carries a slightly more formal or profound sense of aversion than 'odiar,' but both express intense hatred or dislike.

Can I use 'detesto' to talk about people?

Yes, absolutely. You can say 'Detesto a mi jefe' (I detest my boss), but remember to use the personal 'a' when the object of your hatred is a specific person or people.