"I don't like him."

I am endlessly fascinated by words.  I like to learn or make up stories about  how idiomatic sayings get started.  From what I understand, the term "the whole nine yards", for example, comes from the world of haberdashery, nine yards being the amount of fabric needed to make a three-piece suit.  And I like to think about different ways to interpret adages, such as "A friend in need is a friend indeed."  Does that mean that someone who is a friend to you when you are in need is indeed a good friend?  Or does it mean that someone who is in need will act like a good friend so as to get your help?

I'm most interested in synonyms.  They might at first seem silly or unnecessary.  "He walked away", of course, is perfectly fine.  But it paints very different pictures to say "He stomped away" or "He slunk away" or "He tiptoed away."  Because, after all, words are verbal paint.

I've been thinking about the declaration "I don't like him" and thinking of the synonymous ways to say that and how each one feels different.  "I don't like him" is a statement of fact, no dressing, no elaboration, bald and true.

"I dislike him" is more active, has a whiff of disdain, and also a slight equivocation.

"I hate him" is blunt and raw, visceral, not reasoned.

"I despise him" really drips of disdain.  It's almost impossible to say it without sneering.

"I abhor him" is dismissive; there is little juice in it.  It puts the speaker above him.

"I loathe him" is emphatic.  To say it correctly, one has to drag out that long 'o', almost as a way to distance oneself from him.

I'm not sure why I thought of all this just now.  I do think a lot about Trump, although I wish I didn't, those thoughts being counter to good health and peace of mind.  Perhaps that's why this particular examination of synonyms took shape.  Anyway, I love words and what they can do.  That's all.