as in disdain
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
my undying contempt for people who abuse animals
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contempt
The gentle lampooning of the HBO series Silicon Valley a decade ago has curdled into seething, burn-it-down contempt.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
When the office refused, the judge ruled that Raju was in contempt of court 26 times, and levied a $1,000 fine for each instance the agency had passed over a case.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Conviction of criminal contempt charges can come with jail time.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
The committee previously held Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the same Epstein investigation.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026
When the office refused, the judge ruled that Raju was in contempt of court 26 times, and levied a $1,000 fine for each instance the agency had passed over a case.
—Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026
Conviction of criminal contempt charges can come with jail time.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
The committee previously held Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoenas related to the same Epstein investigation.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contempt
Noun
-
Glatzer’s disdain spins out behind Silicon Valley, too.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The tension between baseball ops and Bob Melvin and Shildt’s disdain for input and feedback hindered this communication process the past four seasons.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here was a player who had without doubt suffered more abuse and more taunts and more hatred than any player in the history of the game.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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Well, maybe that hatred of losing — truly not accepting it, and confronting others who are OK with it — is the pathway to winning.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contempt. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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