How to Say "to despise" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to despise” is “despreciar” — B1 level.
Examples
No debes despreciar a nadie por su apariencia.
You shouldn't look down on anyone because of their appearance.
Él despreciaba las opiniones de los demás.
He used to look down on others' opinions.
Es triste ver cómo algunos desprecian el trabajo manual.
It's sad to see how some despise manual labor.
The Personal 'A'
When you are despising a specific person or a group of people, you must put the word 'a' before them. For example: 'No desprecies a tus amigos'.
A Regular '-ar' Verb
This verb follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in '-ar', making its forms very predictable if you know the basic rules.
Confusing with 'despertar'
Mistake: “Using 'despreciar' when you mean to wake up.”
Correction: Say 'Me despierto a las 8' for waking up. 'Despreciar' is only for negative feelings about something's value.
Related Translations
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