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

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 However, Serena’s serious tone is not matched by her husband, Fred, who dismisses her with a condescending promise to discuss the matter. — refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Recap Season 2, Episode 13: The Martha Express," 11 July 2018 Just as in the first season, the most confident of these moments are the ones that outline exactly how grinding, humiliating, condescending, and horrifying the experience of being a Handmaid truly is. — Caroline Framke, Vox, "The Handmaid’s Tale is as searing as ever in season 2. But its blind spots haven’t gone away.," 24 Apr. 2018 Rather than involving itself with facile life-determines-art equations, or condescending to its viewers in the manner of an overeager biopic, this piece trusts its own material and approaches it with admirable restraint. — Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Kafka encaged, writing to his father," 18 June 2018 If the setup seems a bit reductive and possibly condescending, just wait. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: ‘Dan Cody’s Yacht’ Sells Upward Mobility for Dummies," 6 June 2018 New-school thinking is that such chivalry can be condescending. — Michelle Singletary, BostonGlobe.com, "Who should foot the bill on the first date?," 1 June 2018 The result is an achingly realistic portrait of a family and a community, whose hardships Zhao neither condescends to nor minimizes. — Eliza Berman, Time, "Best Movies of 2018 So Far," 4 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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Last Updated

7 Sep 2018

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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

: 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.