contemptuous

adjective

kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
Definition of contemptuousnext
1
as in disdainful
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 contemptuous Their response to the indignities of modernity is only contemptuous silence. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026 Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist. — David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026 Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 And Alexander Hamilton gets slightly better press than the other two, but he is shown as someone who is brilliant, but self-seeking, arrogant, snobbish, contemptuous of others, and profoundly two-faced. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contemptuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptuous
  1. disdainful
  2. insulting
  3. scornful
  4. malicious
  5. arrogant
  6. disparaging
  7. abhorrent
  8. abusive
Adjective
  • It was delivered with sneers, an ugly, small-minded few minutes in support of the sclerotic, disdainful of dynamic change.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • Trump, disdainful of international law and untroubled about the fate of the Palestinians, became the only President in fifty years not to support Palestinian self-rule.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of disdainful
Adjective
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Tribunals have been appointed, and Coriolanus’ scornful elitism strikes them as too heavy a price for his military protection.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Atletico did not believe this was a serious attempt to sign the player, and reacted with more angry and scornful social media posts.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of scornful
Adjective
  • This will likely not be the last time US courts see the malicious tactic, as AI tools become more commonplace in court systems.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After all, an agent could accept a URL and download a malicious package without its human user even knowing.
    — David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • As such, there is a tendency among such countries to view Europeans as arrogant and self-serving, perhaps even neo-colonialist, with a desire to at least maintain, or maybe even strengthen, their position of power.
    — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • James, Lord Dalhousie, the arrogant and ruthless Governor General of British India, who had long coveted the riches of Punjab and the Koh-i-Noor, was triumphant.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.
    — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of disparaging
Adjective
  • The general idea predated Wilson, but his willingness to use it in service of that abhorrent compromise—subordinating the dignity and equality of individual people to the importance of the American union—showed that his commitment to popular sovereignty had its limits.
    — Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
  • These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police and are not tolerated within our ranks.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 June 2026
Definition of abhorrent
Adjective
  • The Madison Heights resident in 2023 moved into a new apartment after leaving an abusive relationship of four years, according to the lawsuit.
    — Nicholas Lentz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her hiring came after allegations of a toxic and abusive culture within the department surfaced in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Jennifer Conviser, a sport psychologist who had consulted with DePaul’s athletic department from 2005 to 2018.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of abusive

Browse Nearby Words

contemptibly
contemptuous
contemptuously
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Cite this Entry

“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptuous. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of contemptuous for Spanish Speakers

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