disdain
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
noun
verb
Synonym Usage
See contempt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has disdainedperfect 3rd person singular
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have disdainedperfect
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are disdainingprogressive
-
am disdainingprogressive 1st person singular
-
disdainingparticiple
-
have been disdainingperfect progressive
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disdainssingular 3rd person
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has been disdainingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is disdainingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had disdainedperfect
-
had been disdainingperfect progressive
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was disdainingprogressive singular
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were disdainingprogressive plural
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disdainedparticiple
-
disdainedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of disdain
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English disdainen, from Anglo-French de(s)deigner, equivalent to dis- 1 + deign; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
If you feel that something isn't worthy of your consideration, you may disdain it (or treat it with disdain). In Old French, deignier meant "to treat something as worthy." To disdain something, then, is to treat it with contempt: "Management at [the company] displayed a certain disdain for safety and appeared to regard safety-conscious workers as wimps in the organization." As a verb, disdain carries an air of self-righteousness not associated with similar words like despise, abhor, detest, loathe and scorn. So if you disdain something, you might reject it with a haughty scoff, "Ha!"
Vocabulary lists containing disdain
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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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.
Every morning, they fly in a flock over my home, and The Dog barks at them in disdain.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
"Their relationship is really hanging on by a thread and actually it's their mutual disdain of this Gen Z couple, and all the things about them that are annoying, that binds us."
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
They disdain raw milk as dangerous and ask instead that we appreciate the role of pasteurization and fortified bread, to name two examples, in reducing nutritional deficiencies and food-borne illnesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
DeSorbo was a bridesmaid at Batula’s wedding and vocal from the get-go about her disdain for Cooke.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Hammie replies, glancing in disdain at the darkened windows.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
