1
as in to stoop
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
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2
as in to patronize
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of condescend
The jeers, while condescending in nature, came from a crowd of Lakers fans who are genuinely grateful to have Doncic in Los Angeles.
—
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
González is a fountain of knowledge but also a great educator, explaining things in detail without being pretentious or condescending.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Her colleagues are mostly interchangeable white guys whose attitudes toward her presence range from condescending to hostile.
—Judy Berman, Time, 12 May 2025
In the one-woman play, which stars Michelle Azar, Ginsburg welcomes a family friend to her chambers to spend 90 minutes talking about key moments that shaped her life: From losing her mother at a young age to fighting for women’s rights in the 1970s before condescending all-male courts.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for condescend
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
González is a fountain of knowledge but also a great educator, explaining things in detail without being pretentious or condescending.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Her colleagues are mostly interchangeable white guys whose attitudes toward her presence range from condescending to hostile.
—Judy Berman, Time, 12 May 2025
In the one-woman play, which stars Michelle Azar, Ginsburg welcomes a family friend to her chambers to spend 90 minutes talking about key moments that shaped her life: From losing her mother at a young age to fighting for women’s rights in the 1970s before condescending all-male courts.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for condescend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescend
Verb
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Keeping workers stooped meant keeping them under constant supervision, a silent assertion of dominance embedded in the fields.—
Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez,
Mercury News,
30 May 2025
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The header was unconventional, stooping and scruffy.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
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For one, if national security is going to be the routine excuse for not allowing Americans to patronize Chinese businesses, then by extension the employees of Chinese businesses will have greatly reduced means to purchase from American businesses.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Moreover, these restrictions did not address the root causes of the violence, which often occurred outside the establishments and involved individuals not patronizing the venues.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Condescend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescend. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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