meaning #3 must be archaic usage because you almost never hear it outside of the KJVde·spise(d-spz)
tr.v. de·spised, de·spis·ing, de·spis·es
1. To regard with contempt or scorn: despised all cowards and flatterers.
2. To dislike intensely; loathe: despised the frigid weather in January.
3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern: despised any thought of their own safety.
[Middle English despisen, from Old French despire, despis-, from Latin dspicere : d-, de- + specere, to look; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
de·spisal (-spzl) n.
de·spiser n.
Synonyms: despise, contemn, disdain, scorn, scout2
These verbs mean to regard with utter contempt: despises incompetence; contemned the dictator's actions; disdained my suggestion; scorns sentimentality; scouted simplistic explanations.
Antonym: esteem
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by
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mark udder-contempt Bailey