To despise someone or something is to dislike them and look down on them. You do not merely not like them; you feel they are small, cheap, or not worth respect. It is stronger and colder than dislike, and a bit more personal than a general hate. People despise cruelty, a liar, a coward, or a job they feel stuck in. It is common in writing and in serious talk; in very casual speech someone might just say “I can't stand them.” You despise a person, an act, or an idea. It is too heavy for a sandwich you do not fancy. Grammar is simple once you see it: despise him, despise waiting, despise the way they talk. Not “despise to wait.” Though actually, some speakers use it for a steady, quiet scorn rather than a hot burst of anger; it can sit in a person for years. English already had a native word for “look down on”; this one came in from French and won.