as in to disdain
to show contempt for
arrogant critics who contemn the general public's taste in art
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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
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At his behest Aurangzeb—who disdained poetry—sent agents across India and Persia to assemble a literary circle befitting her.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In Sondheim’s body of work, Okrent searches for the autobiographical resonances that Sondheim himself mostly disdained.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The guys who started this country, some of them hated each other with just as much venom and outrage and indignance as political players hate each other today.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Your cat might hate you for it, but the extra precautions can make stops and emergencies much safer.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Matt Cardona interrupted the chat and Zayn tried to show Gargano he was still getting disrespected.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
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Don’t think for a moment Dubas won’t feel the heat in Pittsburgh if Penguins fans believe Malkin, Letang or Crosby is disrespected in any manner at the conclusion of their careers.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Though often despised, carp are exceedingly shy and difficult, and great fighters.—
Byron W. Dalrymple,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
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Corporate bosses and some regulators have long despised the practice of rooting for share prices to fall, but defenders say short selling creates an incentive to expose wrongdoing and acts as a check on increasingly passive stock markets.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Those who believed in finvenkismo scorned Raŭmismo.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
-
Aronimink has drawn both praise and scorn this week.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemn. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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