scornful
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- scornfully adverb
- scornfulness noun
- unscornful adjective
- unscornfulness noun
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.
Administration officials have been scornful of such thinking, reflecting a fundamental shift in American foreign policy that was set out most starkly last month in a new national-security strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026
At other times, Trump was more animated, whispering to his legal team and reacting to the proceedings with scornful expressions.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2024
But the SNP leader's support for the pause in transgender prisoner transfers drew a scornful reaction from her arch-critic, JK Rowling.
From BBC • Feb. 9, 2023
Identity comes in fits and starts — in sudden revelations about finding the right clothes, the precise pronouns, and wondering when to come out in a label-obsessed world that can be dismissive and scornful.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2022
He shook his horns at me, as if scornful.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
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.
