condescending 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of condescendingnext
as in patronizing

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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

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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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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
And the motivational quotes on the walls are so condescending. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Feb. 2026 Kudos to Tara for keeping her composure as Whelan offers this condescending remark about Libya. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana. — Jade Le Deley, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026 He is entitled, dismissive and will go out of his way to say something cruel and condescending when nothing at all would have sufficed. — ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for condescending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescending
  1. patronizing
  2. stooping
  3. arrogant
  4. domineering
  5. disdainful
  6. bossy
  7. supercilious
  8. impudent
Adjective
  • All right, this is the patronizing version of complimenting the elderly.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Angèle’s narrative never catches fire and while Anei is striking as Ada, that section of the film feels slightly patronizing, reducing this immigrant tale to yet another strained salute to perseverance.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of patronizing
Verb
  • In what is likely his final World Cup, the 34-year-old scored his first international major tournament goal, stooping to nod Liverpool team-mate Ryan Gravenberch’s cross home after 50 minutes.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 June 2026
  • Sharan enlisted Joshy’s architecture practice, Naked Volume, to handle his site, which already had a small, stooping home on its grounds.
    — Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2026
Definition of stooping
Adjective
  • Odysseus is a complex character known for being brilliant and crafty, but also being somewhat of an arrogant trickster.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Under normal conditions, someone who’s bossy or pushy can come across as arrogant and annoying.
    — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • His domineering physical appearance coupled with his goofy online persona have contributed to the craze.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • Trump, disdainful of international law and untroubled about the fate of the Palestinians, became the only President in fifty years not to support Palestinian self-rule.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Amusingly enough, someone who was neither perplexed nor disdainful was a young cast member by the name of Stephen Colbert.
    — Kelly Leonard, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of disdainful
Adjective
  • Under normal conditions, someone who’s bossy or pushy can come across as arrogant and annoying.
    — Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
  • The gang has gathered, at the behest of Izzy’s bossy, flirty childhood friend Chaya (Zoë Winters), for an intervention.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
Definition of bossy
Adjective
  • Managing these risks is not something these business leaders, or their respective state actor partners, need overly supercilious advice on.
    — Radu Magdin, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • This Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prizewinner sets out its pitch-black-comic stall early with a prologue in which, after a brief contretemps, local man Raoul Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h) blows his supercilious neighbor’s head off with a shotgun and then disappears.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 June 2026
Definition of supercilious
Adjective
  • Maradona, on the other hand, was a charismatic populist, a scalawag from a shantytown, irrepressible and impudent.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • Mantello wasn’t being impudent.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Definition of impudent

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Cite this Entry

“Condescending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescending. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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