Dictionary: DES-PE-RA'DO – DES-PIT'E-OUS

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DES-PE-RA'DO, n. [from desperate.]

A desperate fellow; a furious man; a madman; a person urged by furious passions; one fearless, or regardless of safety.

DES'PE-RATE, a. [L. desperatus, from despero, to despair.]

  1. Without hope. I am desperate of obtaining her. – Shak.
  2. Without care of safety; rash; fearless of danger; as, a desperate man. Hence,
  3. Furious, as a man in despair.
  4. Hopeless; despaired of; lost beyond hope of recovery; irretrievable; irrecoverable; forlorn. We speak of a desperate case of disease, desperate fortunes, a desperate situation or condition.
  5. In a popular sense, great in the extreme; as, a desperate sot or fool. – Pope.

DES'PE-RATE-LY, adv.

  1. In a desperate manner, as in despair: hence, furiously; with rage; madly; without regard to danger or safety; as, the troops fought desperately.
  2. In a popular sense, greatly; extremely; violently. She fell desperately in love with him. – Addison.

DES'PE-RATE-NESS, n.

Madness; fury; rash precipitance.

DES-PE-RA'TION, n.

  1. A despairing; a giving up of hope; as, desperation of success. – Hammond.
  2. Hopelessness; despair; as, the men were in a state of desperation. Hence,
  3. Fury; rage; disregard of safety or danger; as, the men fought with desperation; they were urged to desperation.

DES'PI-CA-BLE, a. [Low L. despicabilis, from despicio, to look down, to despise; de and specio, to look.]

That may be or deserves to be despised; contemptible; mean; vile; worthless; applicable equally to persons and things; as, a despicable man; despicable company; a despicable gift.

DES'PI-CA-BLE-NESS, n.

The quality or state of being despicable; meanness; vileness; worthlessness.

DES'PI-CA-BLY, adv.

Meanly; vilely; contemptibly; as, despicably poor.

DES-PI'CIEN-CY, n. [L. despicio.]

A looking down; a despising. [Little used.] – Mede.

DE-SPIS'A-BLE, a.

Despicable; contemptible.

DE-SPIS'AL, n.

Contempt. [Obs.]

DE-SPISE', v.t. [despi'ze; I doubt whether this word is formed from the L. despicio. In Sp. and Port. pisar is to tread down, and to despise. It appears to be of different origin from despite, and to be formed on the root of the Spanish word. We probably see its affinities in Sp. pison, a rammer, and the L. piso, to stamp, whence pistillum, Eng. pestle, piston, &c. The primary sense then is to thrust, drive, and hence to cast off or tread down, to despise.]

  1. To condemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have the lowest opinion of. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Prov. i. Else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. – Matth. vi.
  2. To abhor. – Shak.

DE-SPIS'ED, pp.

Contemned; disdained; abhorred.

DE-SPIS'ED-NESS, n.

The state of being despised.

DE-SPIS'ER, n.

A contemner; a scorner.

DE-SPIS'ING, n.

Contempt.

DE-SPIS'ING, ppr.

Contemning; scorning; disdaining.

DE-SPIS'ING-LY, adv.

With contempt.

DE-SPITE', n. [Fr. depit; Norm. despite; Arm. desped; It. despetto, spite, malice. Qu. from L. despectus, despicio. See Spite.]

  1. Extreme malice; violent hatred; malignity; malice irritated or enraged; active malignity; angry hatred. With all thy despite against the land of Israel. – Ezek. xxv. Thou wretch! despite o'erwhelm thee. – Shak.
  2. Defiance with contempt, or contempt of opposition. He will rise to fame in despite of his enemies. [See Spite.]
  3. An act of malice or contempt; as, a despite to the Most High. – Milton.

DE-SPIT'E, v.t.

To vex; to offend; to tease. – Ralegh.

DE-SPIT'ED, pp.

Vexed; offended.

DE-SPITE'FUL, a.

Full of spite; malicious; malignant; as, a despiteful enemy. – King Charles. Haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters. – Rom. i.

DE-SPITE'FUL-LY, adv.

With despite; maliciously; contemptuously. Pray for them that despitefully use you. – Matth. v.

DE-SPITE'FUL-NESS, n.

Malice; extreme hatred; malignity.

DES-PIT'E-OUS, a.

Malicious. [Obs.] – Milton.