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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contempt
The newspaper found a judge who improperly threatened to call immigration authorities on a defendant in his courtroom and a court that illegally used contempt of court to dramatically inflate jail sentences for poor and unhoused individuals.
—
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Navalny was immediately detained upon his return on charges that included fraud and contempt of court that were widely considered to be politically motivated.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
But the contempt for Europe did not begin there.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
Navalny was immediately detained upon his return on charges that included fraud and contempt of court that were widely considered to be politically motivated.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
But the contempt for Europe did not begin there.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contempt
Noun
-
There’s an absurdity and abstraction to the whole affair that affords us a peek into the minds and egos of those who run the modern world, not to mention some tongue-in-cheek disdain nestled within surprising sympathy.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s disdain for international alliances and norms has also begun to reshape Europe in a way that may exacerbate Russia’s weakness.—
Alan Cullison,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What began as skepticism towards AI has curdled into a palpable AI hatred across the American workforce.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Given their hatred of Indigenous people, Casey and Frank set out to bring them back, a vengeance mission with echoes of The Searchers.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contempt. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
