as in to disdain
to show contempt for
arrogant critics who contemn the general public's taste in art
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 contemn
Consequently, the Sadrists were contemned and discounted by Iraq’s liberal elite who form the core of the ICP.
—
Benedict Robin, Washington Post, 7 June 2018
Benedict Robin, Washington Post, 7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemn
Verb
-
While some other schools have disdained it, particularly because of coaching searches and roster turnover and perhaps over financial costs that make bowls a wash or worse on the payday, Drinkwitz and MU don’t want to surrender the present to the future.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Dec. 2025
-
Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But man, oh man, does Dan hate the game.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The pioneers of punk music did it because the mainstream crowd hated it.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While the Steelers might be disrespected on a national scale after an up-and-down season, the Texans can't take the bait.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Employees said they felt disrespected by the process and disrupted from their prior jobs, which included coaching new teachers, providing restorative justice programs and offering specialized services like those for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Those who despise Bacharach’s fluting tunes and David’s simple — if emotive — lyrics, consigning them to often denigrated genres such as easy listening, elevator music, adult contemporary or luxe pop.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Policing women is a byproduct of patriarchy, a system that despises women who dare to embrace individualism, self-expression, and self-autonomy.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Watch this episode for Edie Falco's fiery, Emmy-winning performance as a woman both exhausted and scorned.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Dec. 2025
-
However, Eleanor is not a woman to be scorned.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemn. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share