detested
UK[dɪˈtɛstɪd]US[dɪˈtɛstɪd]
v
past tense and past participle of detest; to dislike intensely; to hate.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
test
ed
de
down, away, off, thoroughly
test
to bear witness, to affirm
ed
Etymology
the verb 'detest' originates from the latin 'detestari', which literally meant 'to call down a curse upon by invoking a deity' or 'to denounce'. it is composed of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the verb 'testari', meaning 'to bear witness' (from 'testis', a witness). thus, the original sense was to bear witness against something, to denounce it solemnly. over time, the meaning softened and generalized from a formal act of cursing or denouncing to the modern sense of intense dislike or loathing. the '-ed' suffix is the standard english inflection for the past tense and past participle.
Analysis
Structure: de + test + ed
de- (latin origin, prefix meaning 'down, away, off, thoroughly'); test (latin origin, from 'testari' meaning 'to bear witness, to affirm'); -ed (old english origin, suffix forming the past tense and past participle of regular verbs).
Examples
she detested the cold, damp weather of the city.
he had always detested hypocrisy in any form.
the policy was widely detested by the population.