verachten
to despise
To feel deep contempt or dislike for someone or something and look down on the person or thing.
EXAMPLE
Er verachtet Menschen, die ihre Versprechen nicht halten.
He despises people who do not keep their promises.
verachten
to despise / to defy
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Meanings
verachten
to defy
To deliberately ignore something or override it, often out of arrogance or courage. Usually used in relation to abstract things such as danger or death.
EXAMPLE
Der erfahrene Bergsteiger verachtete die Gefahr und kletterte ohne Sicherung weiter.
The experienced mountaineer defied the danger and kept climbing without a safety rope.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Verachten' (to despise) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ver-' always stays attached to the stem 'achten' (to respect/pay attention to). It reverses the meaning of 'achten' (to respect) into its opposite.
EXAMPLE
Sie verachtete ihn für seine Lügen.
She despised him for his lies.
Use with the accusative
The verb 'verachten' (to despise) always requires a direct object in the accusative. You always despise 'jemanden' (someone) or 'etwas' (something).
EXAMPLE
Er verachtet jede Form von Gewalt.
He despises every form of violence.
Strong and formal word
'Verachten' (to despise) is a very strong word that expresses deep dislike. It is mainly used in written language or in formal contexts.
EXAMPLE
In seiner Rede sagte er, dass er Korruption zutiefst verachte.
In his speech, he said that he deeply despised corruption.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'sich über etwas hinwegsetzen' (to disregard/defy something), 'verachten' is often combined with abstract concepts such as 'den Tod' (death), 'die Gefahr' (danger), or 'die Regeln' (the rules).
EXAMPLE
Der Held der Geschichte verachtete den Tod und stürzte sich in den Kampf.
The hero of the story defied death and threw himself into battle.
Compare with
verachten vs hassen
to hate
Hassen and verachten both express strong rejection of a person. “Hassen” mainly emphasizes the very strong negative feeling, while “verachten” additionally conveys contempt and looking down on someone. Choose “verachten” when this condescending attitude is important.
verachten
Wegen seiner Lügen verachtete sie ihren ehemaligen Freund.
She despised her former friend because of his lies.
hassen
Nach dem Streit hasste er seinen ehemaligen Freund noch lange.
He hated his former friend for a long time after the argument.
In real life
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