disdain

¹dis·dain

noun \dis-ˈdān\

Definition of DISDAIN

: a feeling of contempt for someone or something regarded as unworthy or inferior : scorn

Examples of DISDAIN

1. He regarded their proposal with disdain.
2. I have a healthy disdain for companies that mistreat their workers.
3. McCarthy's indifference to accolades and his disdain for grandstanding … turned into a disdain even for being understood. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2004
4. There is fierce disdain within the Pentagon for the passive U.N. peacekeepers who stood by while thousands were murdered in Bosnia's ethnic cleansing. —Joe Klein, Time, 24 Nov. 2003
5. But for all its playful love of puns and cool disdain for “suits,” the high-tech world is, at heart, a cruel, unforgiving place ruled by the merciless dynamics of the marketplace. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 27 June 2002

Origin of DISDAIN

Middle English desdeyne, from Anglo-French desdaign, from desdeigner (see ²disdain)

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DISDAIN

Synonyms

contemptuousness, despisement, despite, despitefulness, contempt, misprision, scorn

Antonyms

admiration, esteem, estimation, favor, regard, respect

Related Words

abhorrence, abomination, detestation, execration, hate, hatred, loathing, lovelessness; cattiness, hatefulness, invidiousness, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignancy, malignity, meanness, spite, spitefulness; aversion, disgust, distaste, horror, odium, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, enmity, gall, grudge, hostility, jealousy, pique, resentment; bile, jaundice, rancor, spleen, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; aspersion, belittlement, deprecation, depreciation, detraction, diminishment, disparagement; derision, mockery, ridicule; abuse, invective, vituperation; censure, condemnation, denunciation

Near Antonyms

acceptance, tolerance; adoration, adulation, deference, deification, glorification, idolatry, idolization, lionization, reverence, veneration, worship; affection, fancy, fondness, liking, love

Rhymes with DISDAIN

abstain, again, air lane, airplane, amain, arcane, arraign, attain, Bahrain, Bassein, Beltane, biplane, birdbrain, block plane, bloodstain, boat train, brain drain, bugbane, campaign, champagne, champaign, Champlain, checkrein, chicane, chilblain, choke chain, chow mein, cinquain, cocaine, Cockaigne, Coltrane, coxswain, complain, constrain, contain, cordwain, cowbane, crackbrain, demesne, deplane, destain, detain, detrain, devein, distain, distrain, dogbane, domain, drivetrain, dumb cane, edge-grain, Elaine, enchain, enplane, entrain, ethane, explain, eyestrain, fast lane, fleabane, floatplane, floodplain, food chain, forebrain, Fort Wayne, Gawain, germane, Great Dane, grosgrain, half plane, henbane, hindbrain, house-train, humane, Hussein, Igraine, immane, inane, ingrain, insane, jack plane, lamebrain, left brain, lightplane, lo mein, long-chain, Lorraine, maintain, marchpane, membrane, methane, midbrain, migraine, Montaigne, montane, moraine, mortmain, Moulmein, mundane, neck-rein, New Spain, obtain, octane, ordain, pertain, plain-Jane, profane, propane, ptomaine, purslane, quatrain, raise Cain, refrain, remain, restrain, retain, retrain, right brain, romaine, sailplane, sea-lane, seaplane, seatrain, split-brain, sustain, tailplane, tearstain, terrane, Touraine, towplane, triplane, Ukraine, unchain, urbane, vervain, vicereine, villein, volplane, warplane, wave train, wolfsbane

²dis·dain

transitive verb \dis-ˈdān\

Definition of DISDAIN

1

: to look on with scorn <disdained him as a coward>

2

: to refuse or abstain from because of a feeling of contempt or scorn <disdained to answer their questions>

3

: to treat as beneath one's notice or dignity

Examples of DISDAIN

1. They disdained him for being weak.
2. She disdained to answer their questions.
3. The right eyes him [Thomas Jefferson] suspiciously as a limousine Jacobin so enamored of revolution that he once suggested we should have one every 20 years. The left disdains him as your basic race hypocrite. —Charles Krauthammer, Time, 22 May 2000
4. Only in our last days on the peninsula (the arm of Antarctica that polar scientists disdain as the “Banana Belt”) did we see our first frozen sea … —Kate Ford, Wall Street Journal, 12 June 1998
5. His vehicle would be a form he both enjoyed and disdained—pulp fiction. His audience would be one he often condescended to—the black masses. —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., NNew York Times Book Review, 20 Sept. 1992
6. There is also evidence of epic womanizing that Mr. Schickel mentions but loftily announces that he disdains to tell us about. —Camille Paglia, New York Times Book Review, 21 July 1991

Origin of DISDAIN

Middle English desdeynen, from Anglo-French desdeigner, dedeigner, from Vulgar Latin *disdignare, from Latin dis- + dignare to deign — more at deign

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DISDAIN

Synonyms

contemn, dis (also diss) [slang], scorn, disrespect, high-hat, look down (on or upon), slight, sniff (at), snoot, snub

Antonyms

honor, respect

Related Words

scout; abhor, abominate, despise, detest, execrate, hate, loathe; belittle, deplore, deprecate, disparage; disapprove (of), discountenance, disfavor, frown (on or upon)

Near Antonyms

cherish, prize, treasure, value; admire, esteem, lionize; hallow, revere, venerate, worship; accept, appreciate, approve (of), care (for), countenance, favor, OK (or okay), subscribe (to)

See Synonym Discussion at despise