scornful

adjective

scorn·​ful ˈskȯrn-fəl How to pronounce scornful (audio)
: full of scorn : contemptuous
scornfully adverb
scornfulness noun

Examples of scornful in a Sentence

He's scornful of anyone who disagrees with his political beliefs. the actress gave the paparazzi a scornful glare before breezing on by them
Recent Examples on the Web Yet feeling out of place has, ironically, brought Escola even closer to their Mary Todd Lincoln, whose fear that a scornful world might keep her offstage gives the show an unexpected pathos. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2024 The president has outlined a deeply misguided foreign policy vision that is distrustful of U.S. allies, scornful of international institutions, and indifferent, if not downright hostile, to the liberal international order that the United States has sustained for nearly eight decades. Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018 The Masked Man provides a running commentary, sometimes scornful but sometimes sympathetic. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024 Presiding over all this, white-haired, scornful and more than usually vicious, is McKellen’s self-serving, nakedly villainous Falstaff. David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scornful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scornful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scornful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scornful

Cite this Entry

“Scornful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scornful. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

scornful

adjective
scorn·​ful ˈskȯrn-fəl How to pronounce scornful (audio)
: feeling or showing scorn
scornfully adverb

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