Similar words
haïr
haïr is more intense or literary; détester is more common and can be milder, like strongly disliking something — both mean "to hate."
Similar in other languages
Portuguese
detestar
detestar is the Portuguese word for the same thing — both mean "to hate."
Portuguese
odiar
odiar is the Portuguese word for the same thing — both mean "to hate."
Practice
1 What does détester mean?
to hate
2 Fill the gap: Il ___ attendre.
Full sentence: Il déteste attendre. (He hates waiting.)
3 Which fingerprint chart matches détester?
détester: neutral register, core frequency, general domain, neutral connotation.