(intr, adverb; foll by on or upon) to express or show contempt or disdain (for)
informal to be contemptuous or disdainful of
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
McKenzie said the F-22s would provide the UAE with "one of the best look-down radars in the world," capable of identifying targets including land attack cruise missiles and drones.
From Reuters ● Feb. 6, 2022
For as long as music exists and the human race has ears, they’ll always be an uppity group of critics that look-down on the old I-IV-V Three Chord Rule.
From Time ● Jul. 17, 2014
In particular, the black boxes are designed to protect the plane from attack from below, yet the new Soviet MiG-31 and other planes have a "look-down, shoot-down" capability that severely threatens the B-1B from above.
From Time Magazine Archive
For instance, espionage allowed the Soviets to copy the "look-down, shoot-down" radar capability of the F-18, saving an estimated five years and $55 million in research.
From Time Magazine Archive
"I should prefer a look-down, if I were to choose," said Churchill.
From Tales and Novels — Volume 10 by Edgeworth, Maria
Max Cady either validates the paranoia of upstanding men obsessed with protecting or dominating women, or the disdain felt by those whom such men look down upon.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
The US actor said the cast related to the storyline because they had all "met that disinterest" of young people who "look down at their phone, look up, look down, look up".
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
“I put my hand on my lid, I look down, and I close my eyes,” Cervantes said of his superstition.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
Why do wealthy retirees look down on others?
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
I look down at our hands intertwined, surprised and a little embarrassed, scared Darrell will see and won’t let me forget it.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
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.
