1
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern
the actress gave the paparazzi a scornful glare before breezing on by them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
the tenant's complaints were met with the scornful observation that he expected too much for the rent he was paying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scornful
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
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
The cast gets a huge boost at midseason with the arrival of John Leguizamo, equally broadly funny and vulnerable as Dave’s disgraced former partner, and Anna Chlumsky, hilariously scornful as a law enforcement outsider who gets brought into the story’s chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Major studios have grown gun-shy about funding anything remotely risky; even a risk well taken can prompt a knee-jerk, scornful reaction from not only the executives but also the press: The film could, even should, have done better.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
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
The cast gets a huge boost at midseason with the arrival of John Leguizamo, equally broadly funny and vulnerable as Dave’s disgraced former partner, and Anna Chlumsky, hilariously scornful as a law enforcement outsider who gets brought into the story’s chaos.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Major studios have grown gun-shy about funding anything remotely risky; even a risk well taken can prompt a knee-jerk, scornful reaction from not only the executives but also the press: The film could, even should, have done better.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scornful
Adjective
-
Thompson, meanwhile, savors every contemptuous glare and hateful retort Anna regularly supplies.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 Jan. 2026
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All of these flaws are conveniently overlooked by the purveyors of all of these instruments and done so in a way that is contemptuous of those who would contest it or even quibble with it.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Godchaux was a divisive figure among Grateful Dead devotees — many fans were frankly outright disdainful of her presence on stage.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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A lot of people who are that level of arrogant, there’s also an immense insecurity, right?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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The boy is arrogant, Helen thinks.—
Sadia Shepard,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These computer viruses often spread through malicious ads embedded in popular websites or infected links in YouTube video descriptions, according to SpyCloud.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jesse Jeremiah, 51, was arrested on suspicion of malicious destruction of railroad property, vandalism and unlawfully stealing and carrying away copper materials, jail records show.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
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Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Adjective
-
What our country is doing is abhorrent and untenable.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
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What an abhorrent signing this has turned out to be.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scornful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scornful. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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