1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a contemptible attempt at science fiction by someone with no understanding of the genre
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the contemptible behavior of the students who took part in the hazing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemptible
Most people in the anglosphere don’t follow this region, and those who do get their opinions from a small number of people with a contemptible worldview.
—
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
For a man whose alleged bone spurs kept him out of the Vietnam draft to muse about receiving an award reserved for the bravest of the brave of the American armed forces is contemptible.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 8 Apr. 2026
For a man whose alleged bone spurs kept him out of the Vietnam draft to muse about receiving an award reserved for the bravest of the brave of the American armed forces is contemptible.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
-
Trump has made a pitiful shambles of what should have been a glorious moment.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
With his country flailing in their pitiful attempts to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, at the age of 33, Zidane underwent his change of heart.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sports make people a little pathetic.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Williams didn't portray Peter Banning as pathetic.—
Cynthia Pelayo,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
While Washington drags its feet, kids across the nation are being exposed to vile, pornographic images and ads with no meaningful safeguards to prevent it.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Maddie Scott reposted vile comments from one user in particular that threatened not only her and her husband, but also their newborn son.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Browns are clearly in rebuild mode, with 2026 expected to be a lame-duck season at quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vying for the starting job for a season before the team uses the 2027 draft to select its latest quarterback of the future.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Initially blocked by recalcitrant Democratic members of the House, the legislation was reintroduced during a lame-duck session following the 2024 election.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Yet thieves have found a nasty workaround.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
The nasty spat culminated in April when Shell agreed to resign as president of Paramount Skydance to concentrate on his legal headache.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Analyst Seth Seifman said in a note that the stock still isn’t cheap — with Kratos trading at 76 times forward earnings — but notes that investors have been awarding high-growth companies in this sector with elevated premiums.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
While countries highlighted in a new report of summer’s top travel destinations may not come as a surprise, the data also revealed ways to get there for cheaper.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
There are very few hints in art of dogs being dirty, vicious or rabid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Jones also further expounds on the vampire’s wretched lineage and mythology through flashbacks.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
Portages can be wretched, slippery hellscapes of mud, bugs, and steep, rocky hills seemingly designed to inflict lower back pain.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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