disdain

American  

[dis-deyn, dih-steyn] / dɪsˈdeɪn, dɪˈsteɪn /

verb (used with object)

1. to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn.

   Synonyms:

   spurn, contemn

   Antonyms:

   accept

2. to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself.

   to disdain replying to an insult.

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noun

1. a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.

   Synonyms:

   arrogance, haughtiness

   Antonyms:

   admiration

disdain British  

/ dɪsˈdeɪn /

noun

1. a feeling or show of superiority and dislike; contempt; scorn

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verb

1. (tr; may take an infinitive) to refuse or reject with disdain

Related Words

See contempt.

Other Word Forms

• self-disdain noun
• undisdaining adjective

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!"

Example Sentences

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

I lived part of my teen years in Brasília, the capital built from scratch whose architecture and urban planning have drawn equal parts fascination and disdain.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 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

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

It is often said that nature has no disdain, and therefore the natural death lacks the concept of anger, of revenge, of meanness, and that it is even sometimes—shudder—beautiful.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• antipathy
• arrogance
• aversion
• contempt
• derision
• dislike
• hatred
• pride
• ridicule
• scorn