condescending

adjective con·de·scend·ing \ ˌkän-di-ˈsen-diŋ \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: condescending in a Sentence

Editor's Note: What Is the Difference Between condescending and patronizing?

Definition of condescending

: showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others

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condescendingly

play \ˌkän-di-ˈsen-diŋ-lē\ adverb

See condescending defined for English-language learners

Examples of condescending in a Sentence

The next big sequel to roll off the assembly line (awful, condescending phrase, but this is a case of what you have to do when the shoe fits) is going to be a sequel to "Rebecca," Daphne du Maurier's classic 1930's suspense novel. —Stephen King, New York Times Book Review, 6 June 1993
… when the picturesque was seen close up, the "happy poverty" of the peasant was not always happy. There was something unpleasantly condescending, an element of esthetic slumming in the tourist's or the artist's view of picturesqueness. —Anatole Broyard, New York Times Book Review, 1 Oct. 1989
I always imagined publishers were rather snarky and condescending and made a point of crabbing one's work, but he didn't a bit. —Elizabeth Bowen, letter, 19 Jan. 1923
His comments were offensive and condescending to us.

Recent Examples of condescending from the Web

Now, no woman can get up and seriously discuss a subject like this without being painfully aware that her talk is going to inspire a lot of condescending little smiles and mildly humorous winks.

— lily rothman, Time, "How the Real Pilots of Mercury 13 Made the Case for the U.S. to Send Women to Space," 19 Apr. 2018
My grandfather never spoke, and my grandmother was severe and condescending.

— marc myers, WSJ, "Françoise Hardy: From Shy Chanteuse to ’60s Sensation," 22 May 2018
The Rich Friends' solution to this drama is to comp the Poor Friends' Hootie and the Blowfish tickets, which comes off more condescending than sincere.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Revisiting the Friends Episode in Which Everyone's Awkward About Money," 17 May 2018
Remember that somewhat condescending Winona Ryder hair-care commercial where we were told that everyone deserves a second chance?

— Vogue, "Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder Are the Grumpy Leads in Summer Rom-Com Destination Wedding," 16 May 2018
Several years ago, Nike conducted an investigation into complaints that Mr. Ayre was demeaning and condescending to others, according to people familiar with the matter.

— joann s. lublin, WSJ, "Inside Nike, a Boys-Club Culture and Flawed HR," 31 Mar. 2018
That doesn't mean taking on a condescending tone or addressing those with dementia in an undignified manner.

— episcopal retirement services, Cincinnati.com, "8 tips when speaking with a person who has memory loss," 14 Feb. 2018
So often when fashion brands talk about the people who make their clothes, the tone is vaguely condescending and a chance for brands to pat themselves on the back, in part because wages are often a talking point.

— steve dool, GQ, "The Designer Staging His Own Industrial Revolution," 27 Apr. 2018
Having introduced himself to viewers with a voiceover at the picture's start, Huang enjoys pointing things out to us — not in a condescending way, but as a considerate host would.

— john defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Great Buddha +': Film Review," 7 Feb. 2018

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

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.