1
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern
the actress gave the paparazzi a scornful glare before breezing on by them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
the tenant's complaints were met with the scornful observation that he expected too much for the rent he was paying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scornful
The president has outlined a deeply misguided foreign policy vision that is distrustful of U.S. allies, scornful of international institutions, and indifferent, if not downright hostile, to the liberal international order that the United States has sustained for nearly eight decades.
—
Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
The Masked Man provides a running commentary, sometimes scornful but sometimes sympathetic.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024
Presiding over all this, white-haired, scornful and more than usually vicious, is McKellen’s self-serving, nakedly villainous Falstaff.
—David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Screenshots and copies of the complaint spread far and wide became fodder for the already overwhelming fire of scornful messages and posts towards the women, a lawyer for one of the women says.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
The Masked Man provides a running commentary, sometimes scornful but sometimes sympathetic.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 May 2024
Presiding over all this, white-haired, scornful and more than usually vicious, is McKellen’s self-serving, nakedly villainous Falstaff.
—David Benedict, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024
Screenshots and copies of the complaint spread far and wide became fodder for the already overwhelming fire of scornful messages and posts towards the women, a lawyer for one of the women says.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scornful
Adjective
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The arguments Republicans have made in their opposition to Joe Biden’s contemptuous pardons are pretty compelling.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
21 Jan. 2025
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Written by Fielding, Richard Naylor and Jon Brittain, the series followed the contemptuous life of the 18th-century highwayman, known in York, England, as a thief, poacher and killer but whose exploits have been widely romanticized in modern culture.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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President-Elect Donald Trump is openly disdainful of many governments in Europe and seems willing to walk away from America’s role as the continent’s protector.—
Phillips Payson O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Even more difficult in the day-to-day is Donald Trump’s relentless and insulting commentary.—
Ken Dryden,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2025
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The incredibly insulting idea of canceling the name of the prolific U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde was bad enough.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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According to Packer, several surefire ways to ensure success start here: Be arrogant!—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As the technology behind deepfakes advances, the need to fight their malicious usage has never been greater.—
Rohan Pinto,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Now, Microsoft has identified a resurfaced malware that has returned after years, equipped with new malicious capabilities, including stealing sensitive information such as digital wallets and data from the legitimate Notes app.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
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Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Adjective
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During the exchange, Hamas paraded the coffins and displayed propaganda in a move the UN called abhorrent.—
Chris Kenning,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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However, Coleman did him no favors with the abhorrent recruitment.—
Stuart James,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scornful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scornful. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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