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Contemptuous

Showing or expressing contempt; scornful and disrespectful toward someone or something.

adjective

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Imagine This

Picture a student presenting an idea in class, and a classmate responds with a cold, sneering smile and a dismissive shrug, as if the idea is utterly worthless.

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Sounds Like

kən-TEMPT-yoo-uhs

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Looks Like

resembles contempt and contemptible

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Remember This

Contemptuous is related to contempt (disdain) and comes from Latin contemptus meaning despised; it often collocates with phrases like contemptuous of authority or contemptuous toward someone's opinion.

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Other Forms

contemptiblyadverb

contemptuousnessnoun

contemptuouslyadverb

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Connect With

disdain, scorn, derision, disrespect, sneer

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Note

Contemptuous describes attitude or tone rather than a simple disagreement. It is typically followed by of or toward (e.g., contemptuous of authority, contemptuous toward his critics). Do not confuse with 'contemptible,' which describes something worthy of contempt.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The critic's contemptuous remarks about the novel offended many readers.
She gave him a contemptuous glare and walked away.

Synonyms

disdainfulscornfulderisivedisrespectfulinsolent

Antonyms

respectfuladmiringdeferential

Etymology

From Latin contemptus meaning despised, from contemnere 'to despise' (con- 'with' + temnere 'to despise'). The word evolved in English tomean 'full of contempt'.

Mnemonic

Inside contemptuous is the word contempt itself. Think: CONtempt + you + ous — someone who is full of contempt looks at you with disdain. Remember that the root contempt signals disdain, and the suffix -ous marks an adjective describing that attitude.