These words refer to people, acts or things that are unworthy, immoral or intensely disapproved of because of bad behaviour, bad execution or bad taste. Contemptible indicates that something merits disapproval because it patently falls short of even minimal standards of worth or adequacy. The standard implied here is usually one pertaining to morals or conduct: the candidate’s contemptible appeal to greed and prejudice; her contemptible rudeness to the guest of honour. But it can extend to any evaluating process: The concerto was a contemptible piece of trash. Execrable can apply through a comparably wide range, but in actual use it applies more often to bad taste or conduct than to immoral acts: dressed in execrable taste; an execrable lack of concern for the feelings of others. Because of this distinction, contemptible is the stronger word, even though it suggests something worthy of scorn, whereas execrable suggests something worthy of hearty condemnation.

Despicable and detestable are both stronger than the preceding pair, pointing to something worthy of hatred or intense revulsion. Despicable can sometimes apply to work or conduct that one finds utterly worthless: a despicable painting; a despicable bore. But these uses shade off, with weakened force, into hyperbole. At its most intense, the word suggests criminals, even the most vicious, are so despicable as those gangsters who traffic in narcotics and prostitution; a despicable dictator who sentenced thousands to prison and death. While despicable can be used less forcefully to register a personal opinion, detestable is more readily used in this way, since it can suggest an extreme aversion rather than moral outrage: he found early Italian opera utterly detestable . Even when its reference is to moral this note of personal distaste may be present: He was amazed that no one else seemed to notice the detestable cruelty with which she treated her children.