contemptuous

adjective

con·​temp·​tu·​ous kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
-chəs,
-shwəs,
-chü-əs
: manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval : feeling or showing contempt
contemptuously adverb
contemptuousness noun

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What Is the Difference Between contemptuous and contemptible?

Contemptuous and contemptible are sometimes confused with each other. This is neither surprising, as they are similar in appearance, nor is it unprecedented: the words were used interchangeably for several hundred years (from the 16th through the 18th century), with each one meaning both "deserving contempt" and "showing contempt." By the early 19th century, some commentators began raising objections when the words were used synonymously, suggesting that they should be distinguished, with contemptuous meaning only "showing contempt" and contemptible only "deserving contempt."

In the following passage, for example, a would-be critic is ridiculed for using contemptible in the sense "showing contempt":

“Young man! my opinion of you is very contemptible.” “All your opinions are contemptible,” rejoined Phillip, quietly.  – Garry Avenel, Zou Mou, in The Iris, September, 1841

The distinction hinted at in this rebuke has been observed in English, by professional writers anyway, for close to 200 years.

Examples of contemptuous in a Sentence

He owned a fine Kentucky rifle, with a cherry wood stock, and was contemptuous of the bulky carbines most of the troop had adopted. Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk, 1995
In his 1978 Harvard commencement address, Mr. Solzhenitsyn seemed at times contemptuous of American democracy … Daniel Patrick Moynihan, New York Times Book Review, 24 Nov. 1991
He felt familiar enough to indulge in outbursts of rage or contemptuous sarcasm in her presence, and to display the most withering side of his character, lashing out at the people he despised. Cynthia Ozick, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 1989
loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
With less than a week until Election Day, any miscalculation—especially one involving language perceived as contemptuous—can have far-reaching consequences. Nik Popli, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024 The reviews, his included, were a bit contemptuous. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2024 America’s two major political parties have a contemptuous view of their voters. Noah Rothman, National Review, 27 Sep. 2024 Trump performance was 'pessimistic, cynical, contemptuous' Luntz set the scene by pointing out that there are very few undecided voters left and those in the battleground states hold the most impact, amounting to about 1% of the American people. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contemptuous 

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Medieval Latin contemptuōsus, from Latin contemptu-, stem of contemptus contempt + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contemptuous was in 1574

Dictionary Entries Near contemptuous

Cite this Entry

“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemptuous. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

contemptuous

adjective
con·​temp·​tu·​ous kən-ˈtem(p)-ch(ə-w)əs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
-ˈtem(p)sh-wəs
: feeling or showing hate or deep disapproval
contemptuously adverb
contemptuousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on contemptuous

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