contemptuous

adjective

con·​temp·​tu·​ous kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
-chəs,
-shwəs,
-chü-əs
: manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval : feeling or showing contempt
contemptuously adverb
contemptuousness noun

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What Is the Difference Between contemptuous and contemptible?

Contemptuous and contemptible are sometimes confused with each other. This is neither surprising, as they are similar in appearance, nor is it unprecedented: the words were used interchangeably for several hundred years (from the 16th through the 18th century), with each one meaning both "deserving contempt" and "showing contempt." By the early 19th century, some commentators began raising objections when the words were used synonymously, suggesting that they should be distinguished, with contemptuous meaning only "showing contempt" and contemptible only "deserving contempt."

In the following passage, for example, a would-be critic is ridiculed for using contemptible in the sense "showing contempt":

“Young man! my opinion of you is very contemptible.” “All your opinions are contemptible,” rejoined Phillip, quietly.  – Garry Avenel, Zou Mou, in The Iris, September, 1841

The distinction hinted at in this rebuke has been observed in English, by professional writers anyway, for close to 200 years.

Examples of contemptuous in a Sentence

He owned a fine Kentucky rifle, with a cherry wood stock, and was contemptuous of the bulky carbines most of the troop had adopted. Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk, 1995
In his 1978 Harvard commencement address, Mr. Solzhenitsyn seemed at times contemptuous of American democracy … Daniel Patrick Moynihan, New York Times Book Review, 24 Nov. 1991
He felt familiar enough to indulge in outbursts of rage or contemptuous sarcasm in her presence, and to display the most withering side of his character, lashing out at the people he despised. Cynthia Ozick, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 1989
loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings
Recent Examples on the Web However, Demna’s POV of life in L.A., and perhaps America beyond it, appears to be a contemptuous one. Nathan Taylor Pemberton, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2024 The unfolding crisis proved to be an ideal stage for Kissinger’s brand of diplomacy — secret, personal and contemptuous of the professional foreign service. Norman Kempster, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 None was so openly contemptuous of the Constitution so often. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2024 The voyeuristic approach to his subject matter is, of course, a basically hostile and contemptuous one. Stephen Birmingham, Town & Country, 10 Aug. 2023 There’s your brother’s bullying, contemptuous reaction to your (extremely reasonable) qualms — which suggests, regrettably, that he’s picked up a few behavior tips from your dad. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023 The only party to these negotiations who publicly seemed to be addressing Palestinian concerns was Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, who is reputed to be contemptuous of the Palestinian cause but compelled to address it at least nominally because of Saudi public opinion. TIME, 14 Oct. 2023 Romans were contemptuous of the practice, maligning Jews as lazy, but even within Judaism interpretations of the commandment to rest varied in the ancient world, with people differing over not only what constituted appropriate worship but what constituted inappropriate work. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023 The non-Olympian immortals who survive this coup view the usurping gods with disdain and are contemptuous of the humans who worship them. Wendy Smith, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contemptuous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Medieval Latin contemptuōsus, from Latin contemptu-, stem of contemptus contempt + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contemptuous was in 1574

Dictionary Entries Near contemptuous

Cite this Entry

“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemptuous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contemptuous

adjective
con·​temp·​tu·​ous kən-ˈtem(p)-ch(ə-w)əs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
-ˈtem(p)sh-wəs
: feeling or showing contempt
contemptuously adverb
contemptuousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on contemptuous

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