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
Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
—
Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
Reuniting with their Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid director George Roy Hill, Newman and Redford play con men out to ruin a contemptible gangster (Robert Shaw), devising an elaborate scam with plenty of twists, turns, contrivances, and double crosses.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2025
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Arkansas Online, 27 Jan. 2026
Reuniting with their Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid director George Roy Hill, Newman and Redford play con men out to ruin a contemptible gangster (Robert Shaw), devising an elaborate scam with plenty of twists, turns, contrivances, and double crosses.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2025
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
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These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even without Bosa, 20 sacks is a pathetic number for a franchise that through the years has included fearsome edge players such as Tommy Hart, Cedrick Hardman, Charles Haley and Aldon Smith.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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With Juan Soto still sidelined, Alvarez has recently moved up to fifth in a so-far pathetic Mets lineup.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fans, some of them little kids parroting what their parents were saying, called him vile names.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His Max is both vile and charming, and the result is undeniably magnetic.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The band felt embarrassed wearing those lame outfits.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Full lame-duck seasons like the one coming up here are rare; and for good reason.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The duo made up for the absence of Wembanyama, who did not clear concussion protocol after a nasty fall knocked him out early from a Game 2 loss.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Lomu did not fit the typical profile Mike Vrabel seeks in linemen, players with a nasty streak and fierce play demeanor.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But by tweaking this archetype again and again, Chan transforms a cheap gimmick into a complex ecosystem of life-forms.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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The cheapest available seat was listed at $237 as of Friday evening.—
Annie Costabile,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Prior to that time, a conservative who dared toss the dirty indictment at his or her opponent would face disapproval from all directions, and, of course, condemnation from the legacy media.—
Bob Ehrlich,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
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Knicks fans have grown accustomed to Hart doing the dirty work throughout the past four postseasons, but this is the first time first-year Knicks head coach Mike Brown has gotten to deploy the do-it-all guard’s versatility in the playoffs.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sullivan has run a refreshing offseason, considering his wretched inheritance.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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Working with his regular cinematographer Oleg Mutu, Loznitsa gives this prison — and authoritarianism itself — a sickly luster without ever denying its wretched stench.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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