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Synonyms

disdain

American  
[dis-deyn, dih-steyn] / dɪsˈdeɪn, dɪˈsteɪn /

verb (used with object)

  1. to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn.

    Synonyms:
    spurn, contemn
    Antonyms:
    accept

  2. to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself.

    to disdain replying to an insult.

noun

  1. a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.

    Synonyms:
    arrogance, haughtiness
    Antonyms:
    admiration
disdain British  
/ dɪsˈdeɪn /

noun

  1. a feeling or show of superiority and dislike; contempt; scorn

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr; may take an infinitive) to refuse or reject with disdain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See contempt.

Other Word Forms

  • self-disdain noun
  • undisdaining adjective

Etymology

Origin of disdain

First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English disdainen, from Anglo-French de(s)deigner, equivalent to dis- 1 + deign; noun derivative of the verb

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Everyone hates the Girl Boss, but female founders really were underresourced, and female ambition really was treated with disdain and distrust.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Still, large portions of all social classes remain united in their disdain for this regime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

It is the flip side of his disdain for democratic leaders.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Peter Thiel, who co-founded Palantir and chairs its board, opened an office for his private investment firm in Miami last December as billionaires expressed disdain for a potential new tax on wealthy individuals in California.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

She glanced over at me with the usual look of disdain and started to load her clothes into the washer.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.