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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disdainful
Now, with Donald J. Trump installed in the White House, Mr. Zelensky is facing a new challenge: maintaining good relations with the country’s most critical ally and a president who has been disdainful toward him and skeptical of military aid.
—
Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The Victorian Society of New York, which is often highly orthodox and disdainful about these kinds of changes, also came out in favor.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 14 Jan. 2025
The man, no, the boy that 3,000 people had crammed inside London’s Alexandra Palace to see produce history, plus millions more watching at home and in pubs around the UK and the world, was doing it not just with dispassionate ease, or with flamboyant style, but with disdainful relish.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Trump has even been disdainful or dismissive of the United States’ traditional allies, such as Mexico and Argentina.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2017
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
The Victorian Society of New York, which is often highly orthodox and disdainful about these kinds of changes, also came out in favor.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 14 Jan. 2025
The man, no, the boy that 3,000 people had crammed inside London’s Alexandra Palace to see produce history, plus millions more watching at home and in pubs around the UK and the world, was doing it not just with dispassionate ease, or with flamboyant style, but with disdainful relish.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Trump has even been disdainful or dismissive of the United States’ traditional allies, such as Mexico and Argentina.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2017
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disdainful
Adjective
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The wit and wordplay never cease, and there’s much pleasure to be drawn from Colman and Cumberbatch spitting McNamara’s contemptuous dialogue with aplomb.—
Katie Walsh,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
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Some of the reviews and the coverage were so contemptuous.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As Cantillo dissected his outing, Hedges peered over at him, beaming like a proud father.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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But the proud Eugene will not hear of it.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s reaction to Modi’s trip to Tianjin has been scornful, claiming that India is offering to drop all tariffs on American goods.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
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Trump, too, is scornful of what European diplomacy could achieve, declaring recently that Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe.—
Garret Martin,
The Conversation,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Zane played the arrogant Cal Hockley, who was engaged to Jack's love interest, Rose (played by Kate Winslet).—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Hardly seems like enough to cow these arrogant companies into behaving, especially when their business model is so intrinsically tied to hoovering up other people’s information and creative work.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Using those who serve in uniform as political props is insulting.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Sep. 2025
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The whole thing feels redundant and borderline insulting.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many consider the prospect abhorrent, unthinkable, even.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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There is no fan base in hockey more frustrated than Buffalo’s, and rightfully so given the franchise’s abhorrent streak of futility.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Lellouche stars as unlikely hero Zem, a disillusioned Zone 3 cop with an idealistic militant past, who is teamed with haughty, high-flying Zone 2 officer Salia, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos, after a leading politician is assassinated in Zone 1.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
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Anyier Anei is Ada, a newbie model from South Sudan by way of Kenya, wide-eyed and hungry as she’s tossed into a maelstrom of haughty men and clubgoing sisters in strutting.—
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In addition, users will be able to permanently block a user from quote-sharing any of their posts, as a hedge against malicious dunks.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Sep. 2025
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That means malicious software is getting smarter, faster and harder to detect.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disdainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disdainful. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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