patronize

English

Alternative forms

• patronise (Commonwealth)

Etymology

Old English patron (reborrowed from Latin patronus, derived from Latin pater (“father”)) +‎ -ize (“(verb ending)”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpeɪt.ɹə.naɪz/, /ˈpæt.ɹə.naɪz/

Verb

patronize (third-person singular simple present patronizes, present participle patronizing, simple past and past participle patronized)

1. (transitive) To make a patron.
2. (transitive) To assume a tone of unjustified superiority; to talk down to; to treat condescendingly.
3. (transitive) To make oneself a customer of a business, especially a regular customer.

Synonyms

• (talk down to): condescend

Translations

make a patron

• Finnish: tukea (fi), kannattaa (fi), suojella (fi)

To assume a tone of unjustified superiority

• Dutch: denigreren (nl), betuttelen (nl) n
• Finnish: holhota, suhtautua alentuvasti
• French: prendre de haut (fr)
• German: ‎herablassend behandeln

• Nepali: हेप्नु
• Russian: смотреть свысока (ru) (smotret' svysoka), обращаться снисходительно (ru) (obrashyat'sya snishoditel'no)
• Spanish: menospreciar (es)

To make oneself a regular customer of a business

• Finnish: asioida, olla asiakkaana

• French: fréquenter (fr)