scorn

American  

[skawrn] / skɔrn /

noun

1. open or unqualified contempt; disdain.

   His face and attitude showed the scorn he felt.

   Synonyms:

   contumely

2. an object of derision or contempt.

3. a derisive or contemptuous action or speech.

   Antonyms:

   praise

---

verb (used with object)

1. to treat or regard with contempt or disdain.

   They scorned the old beggar.

   Synonyms:

   detest, despise, contemn, disdain

2. to reject, refuse, or ignore with contempt or disdain.

   She scorned my help.

verb (used without object)

1. to mock; jeer.

idioms

1. laugh to scorn, to ridicule; deride.

   Many of his sophisticated listeners laughed him to scorn.

scorn British  

/ skɔːn /

noun

1. open contempt or disdain for a person or thing; derision

2. an object of contempt or derision

3. archaic an act or expression signifying contempt

---

verb

1. to treat with contempt or derision

2. (tr) to reject with contempt

Related Words

See contempt.

Other Word Forms

• outscorn verb (used with object)
• scorner noun
• scornful adjective
• scornfully adverb
• scornfulness noun
• scorningly adverb
• self-scorn noun

Etymology

Origin of scorn

First recorded in 1150–1200; (noun) Middle English scorn, scarn, from Old French escarn, from Germanic (compare obsolete Dutch schern “mockery, trickery”); (verb) Middle English skarnen, sc(h)ornen, from Old French escharnir, eschernir, ultimately from Germanic

Example Sentences

In a 1991 interview, retired Chief Justice Warren Burger scorned the view that the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms belongs to individuals rather than a collective militia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Critics come in for harsher abuse, but Mr. Ireland spreads around his comical scorn about the vanities and hypocrisies of theater folk liberally.

From The Wall Street Journal

“To build themselves up and deter others from challenging their power, they take others down in public, letting them know exactly where they stand and how much they scorn them.”

From Salon

Oslak and the girl exchanged glances, but the young man tossed his head in scorn.

From Literature

I supposed this was James, and despite my scorn for Ma’s little ploy, an involuntary tic of curiosity ran through me.

From Literature

Related Words

• abhor
• defy
• deride
• despise
• disdain
• disregard
• flout
• hate
• ignore
• mock
• refute
• reject
• repudiate
• ridicule
• shun
• spurn
• taunt