contemptible
[kuh n-temp-tuh-buh l]
- deserving of or held in contempt; despicable.
- Obsolete. contemptuous.
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Origin of contemptible
Synonyms
See more synonyms for contemptible on Thesaurus.com1. mean, abject, low, base.
Antonyms
1. admirable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for contemptible
Contemporary Examples
His actions were cruel and vicious—and also squalid and contemptible.
Actions that a writer deems “depressing” and contemptible have not been “justified” by him or his publication.
But if you do, bear in mind that ugly and contemptible things lurk beneath its surface.
That of course was contemptible and directly counter to every laudable value this country stands for.
As she puts it, classically and memorably, "You are the most contemptible man I've ever met."
Historical Examples
They achieve repartee the brilliance of which dazzles him to contemptible silence.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
What merit was there in being what it would be contemptible not to be?
Weighed and WantingGeorge MacDonald
Not another inch, you contemptible whelp, or I'll brain you!
The Black BagLouis Joseph Vance
Her name is not Buttons; she is not in the least a contemptible nor entirely a comic figure.
Alarms and DiscursionsG. K. Chesterton
You talk of your honour and your truth when you did such a contemptible thing!
A Woman IntervenesRobert Barr
contemptible
- deserving or worthy of contempt; despicable
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for contemptible
adj.
late 14c., from Latin contemptibilis "worthy of scorn," from contempt-, past participle stem of contemnere (see contempt). Related: Contemptibility; contemptibly.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper