scornful
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- scornfully adverb
- scornfulness noun
- unscornful adjective
- unscornfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of scornful
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at scorn, -ful
Explanation
A scornful remark is full of contempt, disdain, or — as you might imagine — scorn. Your obsessively fashionable friends might be scornful of others who don't wear the latest styles. First used in the late 14th century, the adjective scornful originates from the Old French word escarn, meaning "mockery," "derision," or "contempt." You may have witnessed a contestant in a beauty pageant give scornful looks to her leading competitors. A list of scornful reviews from film critics usually precedes a film or actor's nomination for a Razzie, an award that recognizes the best of the worst in film each year.
Vocabulary lists containing scornful
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
He was a main outlet for scornful comments about Iran’s attackers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
The politicians, socialites, and Catholic leaders present at the dinner didn’t take the joke well, but their groans weren’t nearly as scornful as the former First Lady’s reaction.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2024
Like most pet owners, I’ve always wondered about Vlada’s doubtless rich inner life, and whether she’s actually as scornful of me as her behavior often suggests.
From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023
They were recording a song called Kool Kids, "a huge middle finger" to their critics, whose lyrics drip with scornful sarcasm: "I am scum, real scum, but I'm good at this".
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2023
Descartes thought that these numbers were even worse than negative numbers; he came up with a scornful name for the square roots of negatives: imaginary numbers.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
