condescending

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

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

Tom is such an incredible man and very eloquent and able to express his vision so beautifully and without being condescending or patronizing.

— emily zemler, Esquire, "How Aaron Taylor-Johnson Became the Standout of Nocturnal Animals," 17 Nov. 2016
Probably even more, given the condescending and defensive way in which the NHL’s expansion team defended itself.

— nancy armour, USA TODAY, "Nothing funny about sexism or Golden Knights' 'Ted' tweets," 16 Oct. 2017
Fact: Howard Cosell draped an arm around tennis star Rosie Casals during the match commentary The condescending move was all-too-real and broadcast on live TV.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The True Story Behind the Battle of the Sexes Movie," 22 Sep. 2017
The Hoosiers in recent years have been a mirage, is my point, but let’s be (condescending and) clear: A mirage is a step in the right direction.

— gregg doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Breakthrough? Not quite. IU breaks down against Buckeyes," 1 Sep. 2017
The piece adopted a condescending tone towards India’s unique and globally acknowledged sanitation programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), and makes unsubstantiated and unwarranted conclusions based on limited research.

— The Economist, "Letters to the editor," 30 Sep. 2017
The president of the Petrograd Soviet, a Menshevik, welcomed Lenin with a condescending speech and reminded him that all Socialists now had to work together.

— olga ingurazova, Smithsonian, "What Ever Happened to the Russian Revolution?," 29 Sep. 2017
But doing so can be condescending and hurtful—especially at this key moment in a child’s development, Smith says.

— tatiana walk-morris, SELF, "6 Ways to Be an Actual Ally to the Trans Students in Your Life," 27 Sep. 2017
The trip became well-known when Linton posted an Instagram of herself alighting a government plane and hashtagged her expensive clothing, leading to a condescending exchange with a commenter Linton later apologized for.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "Will Trump Fire Tom Price Over Private Flights? 'We'll See'," 27 Sep. 2017

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.