détestaient

The French word "détestaient" is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the verb "détester." This verb translates to "to hate" in English. Therefore, "détestaient" specifically means "they hated" or "they used to hate." The imperfect tense in French is used to describe ongoing actions, habitual actions, or states of being in the past. It conveys a sense of continuity or duration, as opposed to a single completed action.

When "détestaient" is used in a sentence, it indicates that a group of people (or things, if referring to inanimate objects personified) held a strong feeling of dislike or aversion towards something or someone over a period of time in the past. For example, "Ils détestaient l'injustice" would translate to "They hated injustice," implying a persistent feeling rather than a momentary one. Similarly, "Les enfants détestaient aller à l'école en hiver" means "The children hated going to school in winter," suggesting it was a recurring, disliked event. The specific object of their hatred would be indicated by the context of the sentence.