1
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern
a disdainful attitude toward people who work as waiters and waitresses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
disdainful of manual labor of any kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
disdainful remarks regarding the cheap clothes that the local people were wearing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disdainful
The Victorian Society of New York, which is often highly orthodox and disdainful about these kinds of changes, also came out in favor.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, the norms for AI will emerge in a political and cultural environment that's hostile to regulation and disdainful of limits.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
The man, no, the boy that 3,000 people had crammed inside London’s Alexandra Palace to see produce history, plus millions more watching at home and in pubs around the UK and the world, was doing it not just with dispassionate ease, or with flamboyant style, but with disdainful relish.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
By and large, though, in Lyman’s view, conservatives were the new gonzo journalists, the ones sending back authentic reports from high-drama situations, disdainful of institutions and politically correct messaging.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 14 Jan. 2025
Now, the norms for AI will emerge in a political and cultural environment that's hostile to regulation and disdainful of limits.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
The man, no, the boy that 3,000 people had crammed inside London’s Alexandra Palace to see produce history, plus millions more watching at home and in pubs around the UK and the world, was doing it not just with dispassionate ease, or with flamboyant style, but with disdainful relish.
—Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
By and large, though, in Lyman’s view, conservatives were the new gonzo journalists, the ones sending back authentic reports from high-drama situations, disdainful of institutions and politically correct messaging.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for disdainful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disdainful
Adjective
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According to an ancient Greek myth, all those who had fallen in love with the young man Narcissus were met with contemptuous rejection.—
Abigayle Ward,
Hartford Courant,
8 Mar. 2025
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The president was also profoundly contemptuous of women, kept his true opposition to female suffrage carefully hidden, and allowed the suffragists who silently held banners outside the White House to be repeatedly attacked by mobs, beaten, and jailed.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Christine Brown's 6 Children: All About Her Son and Daughters with Sister Wives Costar and Ex Kody Brown In December 2022, Christine shared a proud mom moment with her followers on Instagram, explaining how Truely stood up to a bully at school who was bothering her friend.—
Karli Bendlin,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Meghan Markle's Netflix Backlash Meghan's Netflix show earned scornful reviews not only in the British press, long the villains of Meghan and Prince Harry's narrative, but also among U.S. outlets that previously provided glowing coverage.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
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The Nosotros people had returned Borja’s bribe money to him with no comment, only scornful silence, but the sting of the snub had not gone very deep.—
Charles Portis,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Now, however, Memrise charges $59.99 per month, which is insulting.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
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To compare the incident to a possible leak of a football game plan is insulting to the U.S. military members who secure and safeguard our personal freedom each and every day.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ironically, the biggest threat to that plan is the immediate plunge in demand caused by the political activity and abhorrent behavior of the company’s founder.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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But Thursday’s turnover itself marked an abhorrent and cruel spectacle that flew in the face of international law, according to United Nations rights chief Volker Turk.—
Chris Kenning,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Schwarzenegger stars as the haughty, sleazy eldest son of a wealthy family whose patriarch and matriarch are portrayed by Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey, respectively.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2025
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Though Saturday Night excoriates Chase as a haughty frat-adjacent character and the actor’s reputation as being difficult to work with precedes him, an early writer paints a more humble picture.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These emails might include malicious links designed to install malware or steal login information.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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Time to update: Apple has discovered hackers exploiting an iOS bug via malicious media files.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disdainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disdainful. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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