condescend

verb

con·de·scend | \ ˌkän-di-ˈsend

condescended; condescending; condescends

Definition of condescend

intransitive verb

1 : to assume an air of superiority The writer treats her readers as equals and never condescends to them.

2a : to descend to a less formal or dignified level : unbend would not condescend to respond to such a crass remark

b : to waive the privileges of rank

Synonyms What Is the Difference Between condescending and patronizing? More Example Sentences Learn More about condescend

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What Is the Difference Between condescending and patronizing?

Very few words in English have exactly the same meaning; even words which appear to be entirely synonymous often will be found to have small differences in certain contexts. The words condescending and patronizing present a fine example of this. At first glance these words appear to be defined somewhat circularly: condescending often has the word "patronizing" in its definition, and patronize is defined, in part, as “to adopt an air of condescension toward.”

But both of these words have specialized senses that lend a shade of meaning to their synonymous senses. Patronizing can mean "giving support to" or "being a customer of," suggesting that the "condescending" sense implies superiority gained through a donor-dependent relationship.

The verb condescend used to be free of any hint of the offensive superiority it usually suggests today. It could mean literally "to go or come down" or, figuratively, "to willingly lower oneself to another’s level," senses that are still occasionally encountered in writings on the Bible. The idea of self-consciously lowering oneself is implied in the "patronizing" sense of condescending.

Examples of condescend in a Sentence

I will not condescend to answer the sore loser's charge that I cheated in order to win the race. wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations

Recent Examples on the Web

Sometimes people were condescending or dismissive or rude. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "From Nightmare Temp Jobs to Ticket Scalper Horror Stories—The Side Hustles We Don't Recommend," 9 Apr. 2019 On Monday, White House press Sarah Sanders finally condescended to meet with reporters, her first press conference in 42 days. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Week in Washington: “Get Rid of My Kids!”," 17 Mar. 2019 The approach endorsed by Mr. Stelter and Ms. Lakshmanan is pointedly condescending to their own audiences. — Crispin Sartwell, WSJ, "‘Truth Sandwich’? Baloney!," 5 Aug. 2018 In its messaging, Zero is actively trying to avoid condescending to its users. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "Two-thirds of US smokers say they want to quit. This company has a new idea for helping them.," 18 Sep. 2018 The couple have faced more than their fair share of condescending comments and tense backlash since confirming their engagement last month. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Ariana Grande Is Taking a Break from Twitter and Instagram to Avoid the "Negative Sh*t"," 24 July 2018 Men are socialized to be condescending toward women, and even the few who check themselves often fail. — Cheryl Strayed And Steve Almond, New York Times, "How Do I Deal with My Anger Toward Men?," 13 Mar. 2018 Percy Shelley informs his friends in one scene, with a gifted husband’s condescending pride. — Ty Burr, BostonGlobe.com, "Mary Shelley’s monster hit," 30 May 2018 Those Wild Wyndhams By Claudia Renton Knopf, 458 pages, $30 Ms. Renton’s own capacities and possibilities make her empathetic, but never condescending, toward the Wyndhams, gilded captives of their time and class. — Richard Davenport-hines, WSJ, "‘Those Wild Wyndhams’ Review: Gilded Captives of Their Time," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'condescend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about condescend

Dictionary Entries near condescend

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Last Updated

20 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for condescend

The first known use of condescend was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for condescend

condescend

verb

English Language Learners Definition of condescend

formal + disapproving

: to show that you believe you are more intelligent or better than other people

: to do something that you usually do not do because you believe you are too important to do it

See the full definition for condescend in the English Language Learners Dictionary

condescend

verb

con·de·scend | \ ˌkän-di-ˈsend

condescended; condescending

Kids Definition of condescend

1 : to stoop to the level of someone considered less important These two great commanders did not condescend to fight in person …— Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer

2 : to grant favors with a show of being better than others She only condescended to speak to me because she needed something.