1
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern
a disdainful attitude toward people who work as waiters and waitresses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
disdainful of manual labor of any kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
disdainful remarks regarding the cheap clothes that the local people were wearing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disdainful
British writers’ disdainful accounts of the Rathayatra led, metonymically, to a pejorative sense of a juggernaut as a massive crushing vehicle, which was later extrapolated to its present meaning in English usage.
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Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
His exceptional talents had raised him, and the residual sensitivities of his comparatively modest birth had left him disdainful of men of greater family and lesser ability.
—
Literary Hub,
26 Mar. 2026
The girl's disdainful parents, unimpressed with her intelligence and independent spirit, decide to send her to Crunchem Hall, where the ruthless headmistress (Emma Thompson) specializes in bringing troublemaking tykes into line.
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Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Feb. 2026
Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.
—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
His exceptional talents had raised him, and the residual sensitivities of his comparatively modest birth had left him disdainful of men of greater family and lesser ability.
—
Literary Hub,
26 Mar. 2026
The girl's disdainful parents, unimpressed with her intelligence and independent spirit, decide to send her to Crunchem Hall, where the ruthless headmistress (Emma Thompson) specializes in bringing troublemaking tykes into line.
—
Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Feb. 2026
Yet whenever Bunny turns away from Frank to take a call from one of his underlings about the day-to-day violence and ugliness of their industry, a somewhat disdainful look passes across Frank’s face.
—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disdainful
Adjective
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The Uganda Law Society demanded Lukwago's immediate release, saying his arrest was contemptuous of court processes.
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Koenig’s former Yankees teammates were contemptuous of that miserly decision.
Adjective
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Swift will either ignore the noise as usual, or smile at the absurdity as a secure, proud childless cat lady.
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Looking back, Fox is proud to be part of such a perennial classic.
Adjective
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Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
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What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting.
Adjective
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Atletico did not believe this was a serious attempt to sign the player, and reacted with more angry and scornful social media posts.
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Many who lived through the pandemic—and witnessed this inability to combat the lethal pestilence—developed scornful opinions of the medical profession.
Adjective
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West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
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Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
Adjective
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According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, 37-year-old Adam Mazur-Baker was arraigned Tuesday on one count of using a computer to commit a crime and one count of malicious use of telecommunications services.
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This command executes malicious code inside the AppleScript directly.
Adjective
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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.
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These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police and are not tolerated within our ranks.
Adjective
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Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
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Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
Cite this Entry
“Disdainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disdainful. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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