CONTEMPTUOUS Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

contemptuous

adjective

kən-ˈtem(p)-chə-wəs

Definition of contemptuous

as in disdainful

feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slighting

intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value contemptuous comments about the baseball team's pathetic showings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 contemptuous Their response to the indignities of modernity is only contemptuous silence. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026 Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist. — David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026 Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 And Alexander Hamilton gets slightly better press than the other two, but he is shown as someone who is brilliant, but self-seeking, arrogant, snobbish, contemptuous of others, and profoundly two-faced. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contemptuous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptuous

Adjective

It was delivered with sneers, an ugly, small-minded few minutes in support of the sclerotic, disdainful of dynamic change.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Trump, disdainful of international law and untroubled about the fate of the Palestinians, became the only President in fifty years not to support Palestinian self-rule.

— David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of disdainful

Adjective

The target of the anger and scorn in all the insulting posters, slogans, and graffiti of the protest zone was not the education minister but Modi himself.

— Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
The big reveal that Rey was really the still-not-dead Emperor’s grand-daughter was incoherent and kind of insulting.

— Adam Frank, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

Tribunals have been appointed, and Coriolanus’ scornful elitism strikes them as too heavy a price for his military protection.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Atletico did not believe this was a serious attempt to sign the player, and reacted with more angry and scornful social media posts.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Definition of scornful

Adjective

These errors can cause crashes or enable attackers to exploit memory vulnerabilities, risking data corruption or executing malicious code.

— Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Elijah Bieniemy, who is 27 and is a graduate of Olathe Northwest High School, has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside of a dwelling.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.

— Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026

Definition of disparaging

Adjective

The general idea predated Wilson, but his willingness to use it in service of that abhorrent compromise—subordinating the dignity and equality of individual people to the importance of the American union—showed that his commitment to popular sovereignty had its limits.

— Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
These racist, sexist and abhorrent comments absolutely do not reflect the values of the Massachusetts State Police and are not tolerated within our ranks.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 June 2026

Definition of abhorrent

Adjective

Attorneys representing Emmanuel Haro's 3-year-old claimed Riverside County failed to protect the children from their abusive parents, ultimately leading to the 7-month-old's death last year.

— Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Her attorneys have alleged that Obumseli was abusive and argued that Clenney was a battered partner.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of abusive

Browse Nearby Words

contemptibly

contemptuous

contemptuously

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“Contemptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptuous. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of contemptuous

adjective

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