Detestate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To regard with intense dislike or aversion and refuse to accept
2. To express strong disapproval of something and reject it firmly
3. To feel or show deep disgust toward and cast away

Etymology: In Latin, "detestari" meant to curse something by calling the gods to witness the curse, or to turn away from an evil by invoking them. The root is "testari," "to call to witness," from "testis," "witness." The same root gave English "testify," "attest," and "testament," so the verb began as a solemn act of denunciation before it came to mean a feeling of hatred. English took the Latin verb through French, where "détester" had the same sense. "Detest" is the form that became standard, and the "-ate" spelling in "detestate" is a rarer variant. It follows the pattern of Latin-derived verbs such as "dictate" and "dedicate," which kept the Latin ending. Because it is uncommon, it is mainly found in older writing and in deliberate attempts to sound formal.