noun
verb
Related Words
See contempt.
Other Word Forms
- self-disdain noun
- undisdaining adjective
Etymology
Origin of disdain
First recorded in 1300–50; (for the verb) Middle English disdainen, from Anglo-French de(s)deigner, equivalent to dis- 1 + deign; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
If you feel that something isn't worthy of your consideration, you may disdain it (or treat it with disdain). In Old French, deignier meant "to treat something as worthy." To disdain something, then, is to treat it with contempt: "Management at [the company] displayed a certain disdain for safety and appeared to regard safety-conscious workers as wimps in the organization." As a verb, disdain carries an air of self-righteousness not associated with similar words like despise, abhor, detest, loathe and scorn. So if you disdain something, you might reject it with a haughty scoff, "Ha!"
Vocabulary lists containing disdain
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The two sides burn with a "mutual disdain for each other", explains Mulligan, who is known for films like An Education, Promising Young Woman and The Ballad of Wallis Island.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
They disdain raw milk as dangerous and ask instead that we appreciate the role of pasteurization and fortified bread, to name two examples, in reducing nutritional deficiencies and food-borne illnesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
His version of disdain is her idea of a fortune.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Everyone hates the Girl Boss, but female founders really were underresourced, and female ambition really was treated with disdain and distrust.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
To my surprise, he swung from his saddle without a word, though his bearing spoke of resentment and disdain, and walked on, leading his mount.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
