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.
That history shapes how I receive both the generosity of America and the contempt that occasionally shadows it.
From Salon
They say that familiarity breeds contempt, but that’s only half the story.
From Salon
Unusually for a doc, Peck marshals an unforgettable vocal performance — from British actor Damian Lewis, who narrates the movie as Orwell, his every line dripping with contempt for authoritarianism.
From Los Angeles Times
It is possible that during a congressional investigation one or more witnesses will be accused of lying under oath or accused of contempt.
From Salon
Nicklaus alleged that the company’s statements “tended to subject Mr. Nicklaus to hatred, distrust, ridicule, contempt and disgrace, and injure him in his profession,” according to his defamation complaint.
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.
