condescending 1 of 2

condescending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of condescend
1
as in stooping
to descend to a level that is beneath one's dignity I will not condescend to answer the sore loser's charge that I cheated in order to win the race

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in cutting
to assume or treat with an air of superiority wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of condescending
Adjective
Indeed, at a welcoming dinner in Harrison’s mansion, Erzsébet swiftly puts the condescending and clueless guests away with her words, delivered with strength, dignity and sneaky bemusement. Carole Horst, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024 That loathsome, condescending, low-brow slur would apparently include the 74 million people who voted for Trump in 2020, a record only Biden himself has bettered on his way to being maybe the worst president ever. Jay Ambrose, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2024 Both projects share a similar eye for the grotesquerie of the banal, with a generally condescending perspective toward rural desperation. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024 Yes, Emily goes on to flip her condescending date the bird before bombarding a top Parisian designer in his box—two decidedly un-Audrey gestures. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for condescending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescending
Adjective
  • There’s just something about it that’s very patronizing.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 29 May 2025
  • There's just something about it that's very patronizing.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 27 May 2025
  • Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.
    Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Randall is a rebellious new patient at a mental institution who does battle with Louise Fletcher’s domineering head nurse Mildred Ratched.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 May 2025
  • The trial had revealed Blue Cross’ domineering behavior.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Wise minds inside the Trump administration will hopefully choose to drop a suit first introduced during by a Biden administration reflexively disdainful of big.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Now, with Donald J. Trump installed in the White House, Mr. Zelensky is facing a new challenge: maintaining good relations with the country’s most critical ally and a president who has been disdainful toward him and skeptical of military aid.
    Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • So the trick is to tamper down the background noise, omit bossy vanilla, and roast the peaches briefly with sugar in a cast-iron skillet to amplify their flavor.
    Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 22 May 2025
  • The album itself offers quaint harmonies and big beats, á la We, set atop the bossy stomp of 2013’s Reflektor.
    Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The show perpetuates corporate media’s retaliation against those who oppose its leftist, Marxist, Communist, socialist agenda — the ideological myth favored by superficial and supercilious showbiz types ever since All the President’s Men and Network.
    Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Arthur is … a lot too, but with a supercilious edge?
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • One chord appears to speak to the other, sounding almost impudent in their simplicity, equal parts ecstatic and heartbreakingly melancholic.
    Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025
  • In short, Moscow sees Montenegro as both strategically valuable and an impudent upstart that has thumbed its nose at the Russian bear while genuflecting before NATO and Washington.
    Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2016
Adjective
  • Nathan struggled in limited playoff action, but few closers in MLB history have been as consistently dominant in the regular season.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Stewart has been quietly dominant to start the season, averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists shooting 54.1% from the field.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Condescending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescending. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

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