as in patronizing
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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
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Recent Examples of condescending
Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Dismissing these concerns as mere xenophobia is both condescending and factually wrong.
—Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
John Bowe, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile aimed wrathful lyrics and gallows humor at a culture of misogyny that plagued their daily lives, from condescending male musicians to abusive fathers.
—Judy Berman, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for condescending
Adjective
That song is fantastic to me because… pet names can be very condescending.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Dismissing these concerns as mere xenophobia is both condescending and factually wrong.
—Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
This phrase is typically dismissive, condescending, and a little bit haughty, even when intended as humor.
—John Bowe, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile aimed wrathful lyrics and gallows humor at a culture of misogyny that plagued their daily lives, from condescending male musicians to abusive fathers.
—Judy Berman, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for condescending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescending
Adjective
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John’s patronizing, congratulatory tone with regard to Weisz’s character’s dalliance with Vlad doesn’t help.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
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Also, a 2021 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research documented hostile environments in economics seminars, with female presenters experiencing more interruptions and encountering more patronizing behavior.—
Yana van der Meulen Rodgers,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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High-torque joints in the waist enable deep squatting and stooping, supporting operations that require strength and flexibility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Nov. 2025
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Dier was stooping slightly but the Portuguese midfielder’s leg was at least chest-high.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As the sun and Jupiter clash, you’re cosmically protected, but arrogant behavior won’t get a pass.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
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For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the new version, the dramatic tension comes from the singer’s relationship with his domineering father, Joe Jackson, who doesn’t want his son’s solo career to come at the expense of the Jackson 5, the Motown group that put the family on the map.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
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Rethinking the Chávez myth True reappraisals of Chávez and his work wouldn’t start until after former Times editor and reporter Miriam Pawel published a 2006 series for this paper that showed the ugly, domineering side of Chávez and the UFW’s decline.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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British writers’ disdainful accounts of the Rathayatra led, metonymically, to a pejorative sense of a juggernaut as a massive crushing vehicle, which was later extrapolated to its present meaning in English usage.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
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The girl's disdainful parents, unimpressed with her intelligence and independent spirit, decide to send her to Crunchem Hall, where the ruthless headmistress (Emma Thompson) specializes in bringing troublemaking tykes into line.—
Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That conceptual tension has led early users to experience agentic AI as a sort of bossy servant.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
25 Mar. 2026
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Debb tried to take control of the Kucha tribe early, but the others weren't having it and saw her as bossy, voting her out at the first Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As Wilson, Jenny Ashman is suitably snide and supercilious, a great comic villain.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
29 Jan. 2026
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And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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His first goal was pretty enough, an inch-perfect sidefoot just inside Donnarumma’s far post, but his second was a work of impudent art.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Gemma reluctantly agrees to rebuild her impudent robot in a new body, and the sequel ends with an explosive showdown between Amelia and M3GAN, who nearly dies in a noble attempt to save Gemma and her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Condescending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescending. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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