contemptuous

[ kuhn-temp-choo-uhs ]
/ kənˈtɛmp tʃu əs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR contemptuous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

showing or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; disrespectful.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of contemptuous

1520–30; < Latin contemptu-, stem of contemptus contempt + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM contemptuous

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH contemptuous

contemptible contemptuous

Words nearby contemptuous

contemporize, contempt, contempt of congress, contempt of court, contemptible, contemptuous, contend, content, content analysis, content farm, content marketing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to contemptuously

harshly, crudely, bluntly, arrogantly, haughtily, insolently, loudly, roughly, sharply, barbarously, brazenly, coarsely, crassly, curtly, disrespectfully, indecently, indecorously, sassily, snootily, tactlessly

Example sentences from the Web for contemptuously

British Dictionary definitions for contemptuously

contemptuous
/ (kənˈtɛmptjʊəs) /

adjective

(when predicative, often foll by of) showing or feeling contempt; disdainful

Derived forms of contemptuous

contemptuously, adverbcontemptuousness, noun
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