Dictionary

contempt en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /kənˈtɛmpt/

Etymology

From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
   • Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the survey results were known. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 53:
   • And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
3. (countable, uncountable) Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.
   • Justice Merchan has yet to issue a ruling on whether to find Mr. Trump in contempt. 2024 April 28, Maggie Haberman, Jonah E. Bromwich, “Trump’s Trial Could Bring a Rarity: Consequences for His Words”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • The panel voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend charging Mr. [Stephen K.] Bannon with criminal contempt of Congress for defying its subpoena, sending the issue to the House. 2021 October 19, Luke Broadwater, “House Panel Recommends Contempt Charge Against Bannon”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
4. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of contempt factor.
   alt of contempt factor

Forms

Antonyms

sympathy · honor · respect · veneration · reverence

Deriveds

contempt of court (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · hold in contempt (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · beneath contempt (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contempt of Parliament (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · in contempt (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contemptuous (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contempt of Congress (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contempt of cop (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contemptive (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contemptful (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contempt trap (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · self-contempt (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · contemptible (Terms derived from contempt (noun)) · familiarity breeds contempt (Terms derived from contempt (noun))

Relateds

bah · despise · cheeky · ridicule · contemn · contemnor

Synonyms

despisement · despect · disdain · contempt · scorn · despiciency · despisal

Translations (123)

tr küçümsemek (a feeling or attitude) · cs despekt (a feeling or attitude) · mi whakapu(w)hetotanga (a state of being despised or dishonored) · pt contempto (a feeling or attitude) · bg презре́ние (a feeling or attitude) · de Beamtenbeleidigung (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · cmn 鄙薄 (a feeling or attitude) · da foragt (a feeling or attitude) · hi अवमानना (a feeling or attitude) · es desacato (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · is fyrirlitning (a feeling or attitude) · la fāstus (a feeling or attitude) · ja 軽蔑 (a state of being despised or dishonored) · fr contemnement (a feeling or attitude) · la dēspectiō (a feeling or attitude) · es desdén (a feeling or attitude) · ja 軽侮 (a feeling or attitude) · mi tokorekotanga (a state of being despised or dishonored) · mk презир (a feeling or attitude) · pt desprezo (a feeling or attitude) · cs opovržení (a feeling or attitude) · grc καταφρόνημα (a feeling or attitude) · nl minachting (a feeling or attitude) · gl desprezo (a feeling or attitude) · cs ponížení (a state of being despised or dishonored) · tl pagsuway (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · pl obraza (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · hu megvetettség (a state of being despised or dishonored) · sv förakt (a feeling or attitude) · fr mépris (a feeling or attitude) · pl pogarda (a feeling or attitude) · hu semmibevétel (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · cs přezírání (a feeling or attitude) · mi takahi ture (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ko 경멸 (a feeling or attitude) · uk прези́рство (a feeling or attitude) · de Blamage (a state of being despised or dishonored) · pt desdém (a feeling or attitude) · es vergüenza (a state of being despised or dishonored) · de Verachtung (a feeling or attitude) · ga dímheas (a feeling or attitude) · es desgracia (a state of being despised or dishonored) · it disprezzo (a feeling or attitude) · pl lekceważenie (a state of being despised or dishonored) · bg пренебреже́ние (a feeling or attitude) · ca menyspreu (a feeling or attitude) · ja 軽蔑 (a feeling or attitude) · cmn 鄙視 /鄙视 (a feeling or attitude) · be пага́рда (a feeling or attitude) · da vanære (a state of being despised or dishonored) · el περιφρόνηση (a state of being despised or dishonored) · fi ylenkatse (a feeling or attitude) · sv misshag (a feeling or attitude) · ota رذالت (a state of being despised or dishonored) · ang forsewennes (a feeling or attitude) · sh prezrivost (a feeling or attitude) · ar اِزْدِرَاء (a feeling or attitude) · hi अवमानना (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · bg неуважение (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · tl desakato (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · sh prezir (a feeling or attitude) · es desprecio (a feeling or attitude) · is óvirðing (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ru неуваже́ние (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · tl paglapastangan (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · eo kontumaco (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ro dispreț (a feeling or attitude) · fi halveksinta (a feeling or attitude) · ar اِحْتِقَار (a feeling or attitude) · de Schande (a state of being despised or dishonored) · pt desacato (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · vo nestüm (a feeling or attitude) · tr hor görülmek (a state of being despised or dishonored) · yi פֿאַראַכטונג (a feeling or attitude) · ml പുച്ഛം (a feeling or attitude) · nl verachting (a feeling or attitude) · fr contemption (a feeling or attitude) · pl pogarda (a state of being despised or dishonored) · es deshonra (a state of being despised or dishonored) · cmn 輕視 /轻视 (a feeling or attitude) · pl lekceważenie (a feeling or attitude) · hu figyelmen kívül hagyás (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · sv missnöje (a feeling or attitude) · frm contemption (a feeling or attitude) · fa تحقیر (a feeling or attitude) · cs pohrdání (a feeling or attitude) · ga tarcaisne (a feeling or attitude) · hu semmibevevés (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · pdt Ve'achtunk (a feeling or attitude) · sh nadmenost (a feeling or attitude) · sv avsmak (a feeling or attitude) · pl lekceważenie (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ru пренебреже́ние (a feeling or attitude) · de Mißachtung (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ru позо́р (a state of being despised or dishonored) · fi halveksunta (a feeling or attitude) · el περιφρόνηση (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · nl minachting (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ja 侮蔑 (a feeling or attitude) · uk не́хтування (a feeling or attitude) · hu megvetés (a feeling or attitude) · sh nadutost (a feeling or attitude) · frm contemnement (a feeling or attitude) · fi oikeuden halventaminen (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · fi kunniattomuus (a state of being despised or dishonored) · da foragt for retten (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · mi whakahariharitaetanga (a state of being despised or dishonored) · el καταφρόνηση (a feeling or attitude) · el περιφρόνηση (a feeling or attitude) · is óvirðing (a state of being despised or dishonored) · fr outrage (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · ru презре́ние (a feeling or attitude) · sv missaktning (a state of being despised or dishonored) · he בּוּז (a feeling or attitude) · cs opovržení (a state of being despised or dishonored) · fa اهانت (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · grc ὑπεροψίᾱ (a feeling or attitude) · fa بیحرمتی (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · la contemptus (a feeling or attitude) · ru бесче́стие (a state of being despised or dishonored) · da foragt (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority) · cmn 鄙夷 (a feeling or attitude) · uk знева́га (law: open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority)