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
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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
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
Despite his more contemptible tendencies of the past decade, Chappelle is a tremendously gifted stand-up at heart, and these sprawling monologues are always exciting.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
Be open-minded and recognize that even a campaign opponent — even the contemptible Trump — can occasionally be onto something worthwhile.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Most Europeans find Donald Trump alien and contemptible and a man unsuited for the U.S. presidency.
—David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Despite his more contemptible tendencies of the past decade, Chappelle is a tremendously gifted stand-up at heart, and these sprawling monologues are always exciting.
—Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
Be open-minded and recognize that even a campaign opponent — even the contemptible Trump — can occasionally be onto something worthwhile.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Most Europeans find Donald Trump alien and contemptible and a man unsuited for the U.S. presidency.
—David Goodart, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
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The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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On the side of the highway, Wilson cuts a pitiful, solitary figure.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Characters can be pathetic, and frank about their Toledo Truth Teller’s bleak prospects.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
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Jimmy Kimmel is a pathetic hate monger.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the season’s back half, neither its overloading of vile desecrations nor maudlin sentimentality adds anything that Monster hadn’t already established four episodes ago.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
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Koch’s vile conduct spawns a number of unnecessary fantasy sequences either brought on by the comics or wholly imagined by Ed.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Cardinals have historically refrained from operating with a lame-duck manager.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Removing Stains From Wood Cabinets Food, beverages, and dirty hands can leave nasty stains behind, even after cleaning.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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The overriding question should be will the Texas line figure out how to protect QB Arch Manning from OU’s nasty front four?—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Multiverse’s argument that compressed models significantly cut energy use might also not hold up over time, because cheaper, more accessible AI models will likely attract billions more users.—
Vivienne Walt,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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The judge While Royal Caribbean’s attorney dispute the rebuttal, the matter now falls to Judge Shaw-Wlider, who will make a ruling that will be closely watched and could have important consequences, especially in a digital age when cameras are smaller and cheaper.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Its dual-tank water system keeps clean and dirty water separate, while the multi-surface brush roll handles sealed hard floors and rugs.—
Caitlyn Martyn
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Use a toothbrush to scrub the extra-dirty spots or a scrub brush to refresh an entire piece of furniture before using a microfiber cloth to remove lingering soap bubbles.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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When the din inside Rams Park had finally subsided, Arne Slot attempted to put a positive spin on a wretched night for Liverpool.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Yes, Baltimore’s defense is wretched, so don’t count on this being a cure-all, exactly.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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