Despise, Loathe, Abhor, Disdain, Scorn

 Despise, Loathe, Abhor, Disdain, Scorn

These words means to dislike or hate someone or something. Their usage, however, depends on intensity of dislike.

What is the meaning of despise ?

Despise means to dislike or hate  somebody or something and show no respect for them.

1. My wife despise cricket match.
2. Her neighbors despise each other very much.

What is the meaning of Loathe ?

Loathe means to hate someone or something very much.

1. She loathes her boy friend.
2. My mother loathe having to cook food.

What is the meaning of abhor ?

Abhor means to dislike or hate something especially for moral reasons.

1. We should abhor terrorism.
2. They abhorred McCarthy’s witch hunts for communists and his attacks on civil liberties.

What is the meaning of disdain ?

Disdain means to strongly dislike or disapprove of someone or something.

1. They disdained him for being weak.
2.  His disdain for them was met with laughter.  

What is the meaning of scorn ?

Scorn as a noun means having a feeling of dislike that somebody or something is not good enough.

As a verb, it means to feel or show that you think somebody or something is stupid and you don't respect them or it.

1. I publicly scorned the university presidents’ call for a nonwhite leadership class.
2. She was unable to hide the scorn in her voice.

Usage of despise, disdain, scorn, abhor, and loathe:-

Despise comes from de "down" and spise (specere) "to look at ". Hence despise connotes to look down on somebody with no respect or dislike. Despise suggests intense dislike on the basis of morality. You despise killing of animals, despise killing on basis of religion, despise terrorism, etc.

Disdain according to Collin dictionary, "If you feel disdain for someone or something, you dislike them because you think that they are inferior or unimportant." 

Disdain comes from de "down" and dignari "worthy"(dignity also comes from same root dignus 'worthy')

Disdain suggests dislike on the basis of superiority. You disdain somebody because you are superior than him or her. The word suggests a feeling of superiority towards something or somebody that entices self-righteousness with aversion.

Loathe suggests mainly on dislike, aversion or detest.

You loathe meeting someone; you loathe eating something, etc. The aversion is not basis on morality or superiority. It suggests dislike on the basis of interest. I loathe cooking means i have no interest in cooking.

We have a mnemonic learning this word. Loathe sounds like low at. Loathe looks like hate if you simply rearrange the alphabets of the words.

Abhor suggests complete and strong sense of hate, aversion and dislike towards something or somebody, whatever the reason may be.

Scorn suggests open disrespect or hatred for someone or something. It suggests a haughty rejection and contempt.

In a nutshell:-

If you want precision in your writing you should not mix up these words. 

Abhor implies complete and strong level of dislike.

Scorn implies open dislike. You scorn somebody means you openly say that you don't like them.

Loathe implies dislike on the basis of interest.

You loathe math means you have no interest in math; you don't like math.

Disdain implies hatred on the basis of inferior or unimportant.

Despise implies dislike mostly on the basis of morality.

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