scornfully

American  

[skawrn-fuh-lee] / ˈskɔrn fə li /

adverb

1. with derision or contempt.

   As the others came up out of breath behind her, she said to them scornfully, "Neither of you knows how to run."

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unscornfully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of scornfully

scornful ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

If you say something scornfully, you say it in a contemptuous or disgusted way. You might remark scornfully that your brother's breath smells bad. Ewwww. You might be afraid to try out your high school French at a fancy restaurant in France, for fear that the waiter might laugh scornfully at you. When a teacher is impatient and lacks respect for a student's ideas, he may speak scornfully. The adverb scornfully means "in a way that's full of scorn," and the noun scorn comes from the Old French escarn, "mockery, contempt, or derision."

Example Sentences

Scornfully, a defense lawyer said Shettles' work was as different from the achievement of Steptoe and Edwards as "a Model T Ford is from a Porsche."

From Time Magazine Archive

Scornfully he exposed an effort by Senator Herring to get him to sign a post-primary peace agreement with Senator Gillette.

From Time Magazine Archive

Scornfully, Gautier noted that the brushwork was "merely spots of color juxtaposed."

From Time Magazine Archive

Scornfully Kappesser read off the reviewer's initials: "H.R.B."

From Time Magazine Archive

Scornfully watching the chaotic maneuvers, the Warlord would criticize first one then the other for the shortcomings of the creatures they represented.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques