contemptuous

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin contemptus (whence contempt) +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃu.əs/, /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃəs/, /kənˈtɛm(p).tju.əs/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɛmp.t͡ʃu.əs/

Adjective

contemptuous (comparative more contemptuous, superlative most contemptuous)

1. Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect.

   I don't know that guy, but he just gave me a contemptuous look.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Challenge”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 234:

     Sir George burst into a loud fit of contemptuous laughter.

   • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:

     The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. […] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival?

Synonyms

• disdainful
• dismissive

Antonyms

• respectful

Derived terms

• contemptuously
• contemptuousness

Related terms

• contemn
• contempt

Translations

showing contempt

• Bulgarian: надме́нен (bg) (nadménen), презри́телен (bg) (prezrítelen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鄙夷的 (zh) (bǐyí de), 輕蔑的／轻蔑的 (zh) (qīngmiè de), 侮辱的 (zh) (wǔrǔ de, wūrǔ de)

• Czech: pohrdavý m
• Dutch: minachting (nl)
• Finnish: halveksuva (fi), halveksiva (fi), halventava (fi), epäkunnioittava (fi)
• French: méprisant (fr), dédaigneux (fr), contempteur (fr)
• Georgian: აგდებული (agdebuli), დამცინავი (damcinavi)
• German: respektlos (de)
• Italian: sprezzante (it), sdegnoso (it)
• Japanese: 軽蔑的な (keibetsuteki na)
• Macedonian: пре́зирен (préziren)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: foraktelig

• Polish: pogardliwy (pl) m
• Romanian: disprețuitor (ro)
• Russian: пренебрежи́тельный (ru) (prenebrežítelʹnyj), надме́нный (ru) (nadménnyj), презри́тельный (ru) (prezrítelʹnyj)
• Ukrainian: прези́рливий (prezýrlyvyj), знева́жливий (znevážlyvyj)