contemptuous

English

Etymology

From Latin contemptus (whence contempt) +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃu.əs/, /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃəs/, /kənˈtɛm(p).tju.əs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɛmp.t͡ʃu.əs/

Adjective

contemptuous (comparative more contemptuous, superlative most contemptuous)

1. Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect.

   I don't know that guy, but he just gave me a contemptuous look.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Challenge”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 234:

     Sir George burst into a loud fit of contemptuous laughter.

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

     The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. […] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival?

2. (rare) Worthy of contempt; contemptible.
   • 1977 December 24, Jim Marko, quoting Elaine Noble, “Committee of Outrage to Protest Arrests”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 25, page 1:

     Rep. Noble told GCN that she, however, had deep concern "regarding the scandalous sexual exploitation and abuse of young children by adults." Noble has called on the community to "support the efforts of the Suffolk County District Attorney's office in unraveling this contemptuous situation.

Synonyms

• disdainful
• dismissive

Antonyms

• respectful

Derived terms

• contemptuosity
• contemptuously
• contemptuousness
• uncontemptuous

 

Related terms

• contemn
• contempt

Translations

showing contempt

• Bulgarian: надме́нен (bg) (nadménen), презри́телен (bg) (prezrítelen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鄙夷的 (zh) (bǐyí de), 輕蔑的 / 轻蔑的 (zh) (qīngmiè de), 侮辱的 (zh) (wǔrǔ de, wūrǔ de)

• Czech: pohrdavý m
• Dutch: minachting (nl)
• Esperanto: malestima
• Finnish: halveksuva (fi), halveksiva (fi), halventava (fi), epäkunnioittava (fi)
• French: méprisant (fr), dédaigneux (fr), contempteur (fr)
• Georgian: აგდებული (agdebuli), დამცინავი (damcinavi)
• German: respektlos (de)
• Italian: sprezzante (it), sdegnoso (it)
• Japanese: 軽蔑的な (ja) (keibetsuteki na)
• Macedonian: пре́зирен (préziren)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: foraktelig

• Polish: pogardliwy (pl) m
• Romanian: disprețuitor (ro)
• Russian: пренебрежи́тельный (ru) (prenebrežítelʹnyj), надме́нный (ru) (nadménnyj), презри́тельный (ru) (prezrítelʹnyj)
• Ukrainian: прези́рливий (prezýrlyvyj), знева́жливий (znevážlyvyj)