contemptuous

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin contemptus or from contempt + -uous.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kənˈtɛmp.tʃu.əs/, /kənˈtɛmp.tju.əs/
  • (US) IPA(key): /kənˈtɛmp.tʃu.əs/

Adjective

contemptuous (comparative more contemptuous, superlative most contemptuous)

  1. Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect.
    I don't know that guy, but he just gave me a contemptuous look.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. [] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival?

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.