contempt

American  

[kuhn-tempt] / kənˈtɛmpt /

noun

1. the feeling with which a person regards anything considered mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.

2. the state of being despised; dishonor; disgrace.

3. Law.

   1. willful disobedience to or open disrespect for the rules or orders of a court contempt of court or legislative body.

   2. an act showing such disrespect.

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contempt British  

/ kənˈtɛmpt /

noun

1. the attitude or feeling of a person towards a person or thing that he considers worthless or despicable; scorn

2. the state of being scorned; disgrace (esp in the phrase hold in contempt )

3. wilful disregard of or disrespect for the authority of a court of law or legislative body

   contempt of court

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contempt Idioms  

1. see familiarity breeds contempt.

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Synonym Usage

contempt , disdain , scorn imply strong feelings of disapproval and aversion toward what seems base, mean, or worthless. contempt is disapproval tinged with disgust: to feel contempt for a weakling . disdain is a feeling that a person or thing is beneath one's dignity and unworthy of one's notice, respect, or concern: a disdain for crooked dealing . scorn denotes open or undisguised contempt often combined with derision: He showed only scorn for those who were not as ambitious as himself.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-contempt
  noun

Etymology

Origin of contempt

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contemptus “despising, scorn,” noun derivative of contemnere “to despise, scorn”; see contemn

Explanation

Reserve the noun contempt for an extreme lack of respect: a food snob has nothing but contempt for mass-produced burgers and fries at a fast-food joint. Contempt has nothing to do with the verb condemn, despite the similarity in sound and meaning; it is from Latin temnere "to despise," and if you despise someone, you have contempt for them. It's a harsh term and should be used with care; it's stronger than either disdain or scorn. It suggests you find someone or something utterly worthless. That food snob might say the words "Big Mac" or "Whopper" with a voice dripping in contempt.

Example Sentences

I firmly believe that kind of dismissive contempt is misguided.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

But to say they choose to live on the street, as Pratt has, is to miss the point, to excuse our own complicity, to overlook historic policy failures, and to choose contempt over compassion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

In the letter terminating Pelley's contract on Tuesday, Bilton accused him of hijacking the staff meeting to disparage Bilton, his qualificatons and intentions with "remarkable incivility and contempt".

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Castillo has been in prison since May 2021 on charges of contempt and public disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The bigger Lippmann’s short position grew, the greater the implicit expression of contempt for these people and their industry—an industry quickly becoming Wall Street’s most profitable business.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• antipathy
• condescension
• defiance
• derision
• disdain
• disregard
• disrespect
• distaste
• hatred
• malice
• mockery
• neglect
• ridicule
• scorn