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

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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