contemptuous

adjective

kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
Definition of contemptuousnext
1
as in disdainful
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemptuous Their response to the indignities of modernity is only contemptuous silence. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026 Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist. — David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026 Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 And Alexander Hamilton gets slightly better press than the other two, but he is shown as someone who is brilliant, but self-seeking, arrogant, snobbish, contemptuous of others, and profoundly two-faced. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contemptuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptuous
  1. disdainful
  2. insulting
  3. scornful
  4. malicious
  5. arrogant
  6. disparaging
  7. abhorrent
  8. abusive
Adjective
  • Trump, disdainful of international law and untroubled about the fate of the Palestinians, became the only President in fifty years not to support Palestinian self-rule.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Amusingly enough, someone who was neither perplexed nor disdainful was a young cast member by the name of Stephen Colbert.
    — Kelly Leonard, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of disdainful
Adjective
  • Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 19 June 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Tribunals have been appointed, and Coriolanus’ scornful elitism strikes them as too heavy a price for his military protection.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Atletico did not believe this was a serious attempt to sign the player, and reacted with more angry and scornful social media posts.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of scornful
Adjective
  • On this occasion, OpenAI appears to have been transparent about its involvement in the incident and is working alongside Hugging Face to respond, but defenders need to prepare for a world where such tools are in the hands of openly malicious actors.
    — Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Skubal did not say those words about the MRI and the arbitration hearing with any malicious tone.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Odysseus is a complex character known for being brilliant and crafty, but also being somewhat of an arrogant trickster.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Under normal conditions, someone who’s bossy or pushy can come across as arrogant and annoying.
    — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.
    — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of disparaging
Adjective
  • The general idea predated Wilson, but his willingness to use it in service of that abhorrent compromise—subordinating the dignity and equality of individual people to the importance of the American union—showed that his commitment to popular sovereignty had its limits.
    — Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
  • These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police and are not tolerated within our ranks.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 June 2026
Definition of abhorrent
Adjective
  • On one side were animal rights activists who said carriage horses are overworked, get easily spooked on city streets, live in inadequate stables and are controlled by abusive owners and drivers.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • The perpetrator of parental alienation can employ a variety of tactics, including when one parent tells the child that the other parent hates the child or that the other parent is abusive, Psychology Today also said.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of abusive

Browse Nearby Words

contemptibly
contemptuous
contemptuously
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Cite this Entry

“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptuous. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of contemptuous for Spanish Speakers

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