detestable

adjective (detestable, more detestable, most detestable)

«detestable» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

Very hateful; so bad or nasty that people strongly dislike it. tree →
Of a person: behaving so cruelly or meanly that others cannot stand them. tree →

In the lessons

A strong, rather formal word for something you hate, stronger than «nasty» or «horrible». In stories it tells the reader that a character or deed is truly wicked, and that the speaker is very angry or disgusted. Often in «a detestable habit», «detestable behaviour», «a detestable man». In old children's books grown-ups and animals use it in proud, angry speeches.

Examples

Bullying younger children is a detestable thing to do. tree →
The villain in the story was a detestable man who stole from the poor. tree →
My brother has the detestable habit of reading my diary. tree →
«What a detestable smell!» cried Aunt Mary as she opened the fridge. tree →
Cheating in a test is detestable because it is unfair to everyone else. tree →
The Queen thought the game was going detestably, and said so. tree →
Leaving litter on the beach is a detestable way to treat nature. tree →
"You are detestable!" exclaimed Babette, bursting into tears. tree →

Note

Adjective; the adverb is «detestably», the verb is «detest» (to hate) and the noun «detestation». Stress on the second syllable: de-TEST-a-ble. It is a strong word; in everyday talk people more often say «horrible» or «awful». Do not confuse with «delectable», which means delicious.

In Jewish tradition

Describes animals the Torah forbids as food, called a detestable thing, often translated as "sheretz" or "shekketz".

Interpretation. Tradition holds the forbidden animals are part of the laws of kashrut, which set Israel apart as holy; the Torah gives the rule without a stated reason.

Examples

All winged swarming things that go upon all fours are a detestable thing unto you. (Torah LEV.11.20, JPS 1917) tree →
But all winged swarming things, which have four feet, are a detestable thing unto you. (Torah LEV.11.23, JPS 1917) tree →
Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that is a detestable thing unto you. (Torah LEV.11.12, JPS 1917) tree →
And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung. (Prophets NAM.3.6, JPS 1917) tree →
Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy harlotry, on the hills in the field have I seen thy detestable acts. (Prophets JER.13.27, JPS 1917) tree →
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. (Prophets EZK.11.18, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «detestable» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«detestable» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «detestable» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«detestable» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.

This page in Markdown → https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/detestable/