CONTEMPTS Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

contempt

noun

kən-ˈtem(p)t

Definition of contempt

as in disdain

open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect my undying contempt for people who abuse animals

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of contempt That fast-tracking of the process avoids the need for a vote in the full 100-member Senate, where Republicans likely lack the 60 votes required to move a contempt referral to passage. — Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 The accusation was serious enough that the judge halted the main case to hold a hearing to rule on the contempt motion. — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 His contempt for the Jewish state of Israel will lead our city right into a libel suit worth hundreds of millions of dollars. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026 There is a disdain for mainstream filmmaking and that contempt comes off the page reading that review. — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contempt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contempt

Noun

There is a disdain for mainstream filmmaking and that contempt comes off the page reading that review.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2026
On the other side of the AI-reasoning fence, the disdain seems to be mutual.

— John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2026

Definition of disdain

Noun

Yet the hatred of Dulles—so absolute in its consensus—reminds me of other ways in which our culture has hardened.

— Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Please try to keep your red-state hatreds and prejudices confined within your borders, and leave the rest of us in peace.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of hatred

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“Contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contempt. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of contempt

noun

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