Synonyms of patronize

patronize

verb

ˈpā-trə-ˌnīz 

1

as in to condescend

to assume or treat with an air of superiority

a director with an unpleasant habit of patronizing even his most gifted actors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• condescend
• lord (it over)
• cut
• talk down (to)
• slight
• queen (it over)
• snub
• cold-shoulder
• high-hat

2

as in to endorse

to promote the interests or cause of

a company that loyally patronizes the arts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endorse
• advocate
• support
• adopt
• embrace
• help
• champion
• back
• assist
• stand up for
• go in for
• aid
• stick up for
• plunk (for)
• hold a brief for
• reinforce
• plump (for)
• plonk (for)
• go to bat for
• preach
• espouse
• save
• abet
• bolster
• forward
• rescue
• further
• buttress
• second
• side (with)
• prop (up)
• advance
• boost
• bail out
• backstop
• plug
• talk up
• deliver

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• oppose
• interfere
• thwart
• frustrate
• sabotage
• fail
• disappoint
• let down
• desert
• baffle
• foil

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of patronize

The speech was made at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery that Mazepa patronized. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026

The altercation occurred outside of a parking garage near Doggie’s, a State College bar that, according to police documents, McKenna had patronized with a group earlier that night. — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 26 June 2026

The result is drivers who never fully bought into the system altering their spending patterns to avoid patronizing Chicago businesses, restaurants and cultural attractions where street parking payment is required. — Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

The traumas come from the way people responded, how they’ve been patronized and gaslit and shunned. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 10 June 2026