as in contempt
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
a glance filled with unrestrained contemptuousness for the rest of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptuousness
Noun
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Can storytelling help move audiences beyond caricatures, outrage, and contempt?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026 -
Paxton has repeatedly called Talarico a vegan along the campaign trail — a claim that would make many Texans scoff in contempt.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Noun
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During the controversy that followed, his disdain for women began cohering into a political identity.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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Swift has made her disdain for the president’s policies known, and the feeling seems mutual.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Monday showed why the Middle East’s generational hatreds are so often treacherous for American presidents.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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More deeply, San Diego’s Muslims have been puzzling over the roots of the hatred that sent two young men into a holy place with the intent to commit mass murder.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Contemptuousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptuousness. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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