Synonyms of condescend

condescend

verb

ˌkän-di-ˈsend 

1

as in to stoop

to descend to a level that is beneath one's dignity

I will not condescend to answer the sore loser's charge that I cheated in order to win the race

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stoop
• deign
• humble
• humiliate
• demean
• shame
• discredit
• degrade
• debase
• dishonor
• disgrace
• abase
• lower

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rise

2

as in to patronize

to assume or treat with an air of superiority

wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• patronize
• cut
• lord (it over)
• talk down (to)
• slight
• snub
• cold-shoulder
• queen (it over)
• high-hat

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of condescend

On top of this, his tone is condescending by suggesting that any claim for material recompense by Black people can only come from a Black nationalist and bourgeois initiative. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026

Glassman has a reputation for being nasty and condescending to residents who disagree with him. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 June 2026

Others take the story’s recognition by the Commonwealth judges as evidence that the literary establishment is guilty of condescending to the Global South. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 June 2026

So this condescending takedown is actually coming from a place of love. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2026