1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a contemptible attempt at science fiction by someone with no understanding of the genre
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the contemptible behavior of the students who took part in the hazing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contemptible
Be open-minded and recognize that even a campaign opponent — even the contemptible Trump — can occasionally be onto something worthwhile.
—
George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Alwyn does some of his best work, making Harry contemptible without veering into caricature.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
If one strips away the many glittering layers that have been added to her avatar by the operators and sycophants of America’s contemptible national press, one soon notices that Kamala Harris has a policy problem.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible 
George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Alwyn does some of his best work, making Harry contemptible without veering into caricature.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
His take on Prince Philip is both humanizing and unmerciful, cutting to the bone of a man portrayed in contradictory terms — petulant yet statesmanlike, intensely ambitious yet ineffectual, relatable one minute and contemptible the next.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 30 July 2024
If one strips away the many glittering layers that have been added to her avatar by the operators and sycophants of America’s contemptible national press, one soon notices that Kamala Harris has a policy problem.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
-
Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2025
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Who knew that banning books, paying teachers pitiful salaries and threatening them with jail if they were caught with salacious book titles would be the holy grail of student success.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Here, 288 Romanian mercenaries who surrendered to M23 are counted and sent back to Europe, a pathetic and dejected lot.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Misery-loves-company is a real thing, pathetic but true.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This is due to Emilia Pérez lead Karla Sofía Gascón’s highly offensive and frankly vile tweets unearthed from several years back, which first emerged late last week.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
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The verdict: Its flavor was nothing short of despicably vile, which made Orly’s nail-biting polish both a gift and a curse along my journey to end my bad habit.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat had the splashiest individual stat line with 2.5 sacks, but a crew of nasty defensive tackles wrought devastation versus the run and the pass.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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What follows is a twisted game of house where familiar familial relationships crumble and new ones take root like nasty black weeds.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For example, new builds are cheaper than existing homes in Austin, Texas, where builders have cranked out more (relatively) affordable inventory.—
Brianna Crane,
Axios,
13 Feb. 2025
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Also, when compared to active mutual funds, with an average fee of 1.02%, active ETFs are relatively cheaper.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Surrounded by plenty of enemies, political and otherwise, the husband and wife have no choice but to get their hands dirty in order to save their son.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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Evans recommends carving out some time to complete tasks like returning dirty dishes or mugs from elsewhere in the house to the sink.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Other players have been successful elsewhere, including Tomljanovic and Sam Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, but both have relatively wretched records in Melbourne.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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That’s good news for drivers who use this wretched thoroughfare and worry that their tires and shocks could not withstand the ruts and ridges of constant travel on a road that looks like it was damaged by mortar fire.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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