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

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 condescend President Donald Trump is once again facing backlash, this time for comments made during a recent meeting with West African leaders that many are calling inappropriate and condescending. Oumou Fofana, Essence, 11 July 2025 Alex spends most of the book being condescending to Sophie, and yet she is transfixed by him. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025 Like them, Zimmer is known as a tough and savvy operator who as a boss could be both condescending but also wildly charismatic. Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025 Some of it reflects condescending attitudes that poor people don't know what's good for them. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for condescend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescend
Verb
  • Age had stooped his back and shrunk him to his bones.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2025
  • Starmer stooped to pick them up, later explaining that he was compelled to ditch diplomatic decorum because anyone else trying to help risked spooking the president’s security team.
    Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Gill pleaded guilty to theft of property over $60,000, a class B felony, and patronizing prostitution, a class A misdemeanor, in Sumner County Criminal Court.
    Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 5 Aug. 2025
  • New hotels, restaurants, shops, and bars staffed by passionate locals and patronized by an in-the-know clientele have begun to push Nice back into the spotlight.
    Sloane Crosley, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Condescend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescend. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

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