contempt
Americannoun
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the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.
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the state of being despised; dishonor; disgrace.
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Law.
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willful disobedience to or open disrespect for the rules or orders of a court contempt of court or legislative body.
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an act showing such disrespect.
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noun
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the attitude or feeling of a person towards a person or thing that he considers worthless or despicable; scorn
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the state of being scorned; disgrace (esp in the phrase hold in contempt )
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wilful disregard of or disrespect for the authority of a court of law or legislative body
contempt of court
Related Words
contempt , disdain , scorn imply strong feelings of disapproval and aversion toward what seems base, mean, or worthless. contempt is disapproval tinged with disgust: to feel contempt for a weakling . disdain is a feeling that a person or thing is beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern: a disdain for crooked dealing . scorn denotes open or undisguised contempt often combined with derision: He showed only scorn for those who were not as ambitious as himself.
Other Word Forms
- self-contempt noun
Etymology
Origin of contempt
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contemptus “despising, scorn,” noun derivative of contemnere “to despise, scorn”; contemn
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.
Nivola, in a particularly tough role, displays a heady mix of alpha machismo, tenderness and contempt that is just as funny as it needs to be without losing a crucial dimensionality.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
I think civil contempt is a real possibility, and criminal contempt may not be off the table.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
She said it was "an absolute disgrace and contempt" towards victims' families.
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
Ms. Hughes plays Ruth with a combative defensiveness, and not a little contempt, as she listens with incredulity to Jay’s obvious ignorance of the Troubles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Intellectual familiarity bred a slow, glowering contempt; in a few months, they were barely on speaking terms.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
