contemptuous

adjective

kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs How to pronounce contemptuous (audio)
Definition of contemptuousnext
1
as in disdainful
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries

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2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemptuous Trump seemed disinterested in and even contemptuous of Africa. — John Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2020 Tamil Nadu’s leaders have long been openly contemptuous of Hindu nationalism, and their governing philosophy represents a powerful alternative to Modi’s worldview. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025 The Supreme Court could potentially blow up this trend The largest threat to the trend of fewer death sentences and executions is the Supreme Court’s Republican supermajority, which is often contemptuous of precedents handed down by earlier justices who Republican legal elites view as too liberal. — Ian Millhiser, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 Evie, who has recently married another woman, is contemptuous of a religion that doesn’t hold space for her identity. — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for contemptuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptuous
  1. disdainful
  2. scornful
  3. insulting
  4. arrogant
  5. malicious
  6. abhorrent
  7. disparaging
  8. cruel
Adjective
  • President-Elect Donald Trump is openly disdainful of many governments in Europe and seems willing to walk away from America’s role as the continent’s protector.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Now, the norms for AI will emerge in a political and cultural environment that's hostile to regulation and disdainful of limits.
    — Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of disdainful
Adjective
  • This is the trapped subject, the voice crying out in the wilderness, seeking a response from the Everything but getting only the scornful bounce-back of itself.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
  • With the scornful wave spreading across social media, Marvel waded in to stem the tide.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Definition of scornful
Adjective
  • Russian politicians and state media were thrilled to hear the U.S. president backing their insulting and obvious lies.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
  • La Liga players are often shown red cards for taking protests past the level which referees deem acceptable, sometimes for words which are less insulting or disrespectful than what was said by Bellingham.
    — Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • So this kind of parallel can easily be drawn between Iran and other countries, [including those with] an arrogant isolation program, definitely.
    — Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
  • One of the targets of his reign of terror is arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen, played by Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush admitted to the facility after being left partially paralyzed after a stroke.
    — Simon Thompson, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious apps is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.
    — Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Fraudsters are increasingly using generative AI to write convincing phishing emails, improve deepfakes, and draft new forms of malicious code — making scams harder to detect.
    — Sam Sabin, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Their actions were abhorrent and horrifying—and their apathy was obvious.
    — Ross Overline, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The Tate brothers' agenda is not only abhorrent but also wildly unpopular, to boot.
    — Newsweek, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of abhorrent
Adjective
  • The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.
    — Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier.
    — Emily DeLetter, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023
Definition of disparaging
Adjective
  • Michael, in a filmed conversation with Grace, claimed that his ex-wife had manipulated him and was cruel to Natalia.
    — Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025
  • In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of cruel

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Cite this Entry

“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptuous. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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