The meaning of ‘despicable’

“deserving to be despised : so worthless or obnoxious as to rouse moral indignation


Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:  
despicable: adjective deserving hatred and contempt. (–– origin C16: from late L. despicabilis, from despicari ‘look down on’.) 


In the debate in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich called it “despicable” to report that he proposed that his second wife allow him to continue his affair with his now-third! Then he used his two daughters by marriage #1 to defend his behavior to wife #2, and to condone his relationship with wife #3.

The crowd loved his angry retort, and cheered. I thought it was despicable to tell wife #1 in the hospital that he was leaving her and wife #2 over the phone, when she was convalescing, that he wanted an open marriage. I also think it was despicable for Gingrich to blame John King, the messenger-in-the-media, who could not, as the debate manager, respond to his tirade and engage in an argument with Gingrich.

This distortion of language is Orwellian. President Bush (the Second), a draft evader, blamed Sen. Kerry for not being brave in Vietnam. What!

Other debate audiences applauded Texas Gov. Perry’s claim that he ordered over 700 executions. Yeah! And another audience cheered Congressman Paul, saying that if someone was sick and had no insurance, somehow someone on the street would take care of him! Yeah, let him die on the street.

So the family-values crowd is lining up behind Gingrich. No candidate is dealing with Ron Paul’s proper complaint about our prolonged and unnecessary wars. And at a time when the American public is suffering economically, the Republican candidates and their adoring crowds are applauding proposals to cut the taxes of the super-rich, and swallowing the fatuous complaints that President Obama is starting class warfare.

What an embarrassment it is to watch the drivel of the Republican candidates and the reactions of the public in attendance.


Ronald Goldfarb is a Washington- and Miami-based attorney, author and literary agent.