scornful
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scornful
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at scorn, -ful
Explanation
A scornful remark is full of contempt, disdain, or — as you might imagine — scorn. Your obsessively fashionable friends might be scornful of others who don't wear the latest styles. First used in the late 14th century, the adjective scornful originates from the Old French word escarn, meaning "mockery," "derision," or "contempt." You may have witnessed a contestant in a beauty pageant give scornful looks to her leading competitors. A list of scornful reviews from film critics usually precedes a film or actor's nomination for a Razzie, an award that recognizes the best of the worst in film each year.
Vocabulary lists containing scornful
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
Scornful and indignant, Eric Church — the most accessible of country music’s contemporary heretics — begins his new single, “Stick That in Your Country Song,” with an image of a decayed America:
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2020
Scornful of the internet interlopers, the Alien Research Center in nearby Hiko, Nevada, decided to host its own Area 51 event the same weekend – for serious ufologists.
From The Guardian • Sep. 24, 2019
Scornful voices can be as misleading as any others.
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2015
Scornful of second-hand scholarship, Iowa's teachers let students win their degrees by substituting for a traditional thesis an original novel, a painting, a performance in a play, a musical composition.
From Time Magazine Archive
Scornful of the pitiful weapons wielded by man, she hung there, her sinister beauty of line sharply defined against the cloudless sky.
From Triplanetary by Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer)
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.
