as in patronizing
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1
as in stooping
to descend to a level that is beneath one's dignity
I will not condescend to answer the sore loser's charge that I cheated in order to win the race
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cutting
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
wealthy people who tend to be condescending toward their poor relations
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of condescending
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
But Chernus talks at us with the condescending zeal of a true music-lover, and his cheeky tirades about the history of jazz — and why Jarrett’s gift for improvisation is unique even in the context of such a freeform genre — are entertaining and educational in equal measure.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Its relentlessly upbeat, hand-holding style has drawn constant criticism for coming across as condescending.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for condescending
Adjective
Kudos to Tara for keeping her composure as Whelan offers this condescending remark about Libya.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
But Chernus talks at us with the condescending zeal of a true music-lover, and his cheeky tirades about the history of jazz — and why Jarrett’s gift for improvisation is unique even in the context of such a freeform genre — are entertaining and educational in equal measure.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
He is entitled, dismissive and will go out of his way to say something cruel and condescending when nothing at all would have sufficed.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Its relentlessly upbeat, hand-holding style has drawn constant criticism for coming across as condescending.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for condescending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condescending
Adjective
-
Attempts have been so grand as to come off as wildly patronizing.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
John’s patronizing, congratulatory tone with regard to Weisz’s character’s dalliance with Vlad doesn’t help.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In what is likely his final World Cup, the 34-year-old scored his first international major tournament goal, stooping to nod Liverpool team-mate Ryan Gravenberch’s cross home after 50 minutes.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
-
Sharan enlisted Joshy’s architecture practice, Naked Volume, to handle his site, which already had a small, stooping home on its grounds.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
His whole behavior toward women is so disdainful.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
17 June 2026
-
The popularity of e-bikes and e-motos has soared since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving lawmakers and law enforcement scrambling to regulate the bikes that are often used by young riders ignorant or disdainful of the rules of the road.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The moon is charging up your bossy 10th house of career, reputation and visibility, putting your ambitions, accomplishments and leadership qualities under the spotlight.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
The Swallows were a pretty dull group of four siblings—Susan was always doing the cooking and discussing the best way to scramble egg, while bossy John was some kind of Tory MP in the making.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
This Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prizewinner sets out its pitch-black-comic stall early with a prologue in which, after a brief contretemps, local man Raoul Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h) blows his supercilious neighbor’s head off with a shotgun and then disappears.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
After appearing as supercilious EPA company man Walter Peck in Ghostbusters, Atherton completed his trilogy of goofy comedies with Real Genius (1985) and Bio-Dome (1996).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Mantello wasn’t being impudent.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
His first goal was pretty enough, an inch-perfect sidefoot just inside Donnarumma’s far post, but his second was a work of impudent art.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Condescending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condescending. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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