How to Say "to abhor" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to abhor” is “detestar” — B1 level.
Examples
Detesto el olor del tabaco.
I detest the smell of tobacco.
Ella detesta llegar tarde a las citas.
She hates arriving late to appointments.
Detesto que me interrumpan cuando estoy trabajando.
I hate being interrupted when I am working.
Using 'Personal A'
When the thing you hate is a specific person or a pet, you must put the word 'a' before them. For example: 'Detesto a ese actor' (I detest that actor).
Expressing Opinions with 'Que'
When you say 'Detesto que...' to talk about someone else's actions, the following verb needs a special 'subjunctive' ending. Example: 'Detesto que grites' (I hate that you shout).
Don't use it like 'Gustar'
Mistake: “Me detesta el brócoli.”
Correction: Detesto el brócoli. 'Detestar' follows the same pattern as English 'I hate' (I do the hating), unlike 'Gustar' which flips the subject.
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