noun
verb
Related Words
See contempt.
Other Word Forms
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
Shareholders, however, made known their disdain for Warner Chief Executive David Zaslav’s proposed golden parachute, which could swell to $887 million, depending on when the transaction closes.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
The two sides burn with a "mutual disdain for each other", explains Mulligan, who is known for films like An Education, Promising Young Woman and The Ballad of Wallis Island.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Everyone hates the Girl Boss, but female founders really were underresourced, and female ambition really was treated with disdain and distrust.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
If Rekh were to look at him with disdain and disappointment he knew he would shrivel with the shame.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
