Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).
Meanings
(uncountable) Contempt or disdain.
Rain of tears, real, mist of imagined scorn 1967, John Berryman, Berryman’s Sonnets, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux:
(countable) A display of disdain; a slight.
VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo. 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vi], page 100, column 1:
Every sullen frown and bitter scorn / But fanned the fuel that too fast did burn. 1685, John Dryden, The Despairing Lover:
(countable) An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 44:13:
Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).
Meanings
(transitive) To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful. 1871, C. J. Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
The Cry is ſtill, they come: our Caſtles ſtrength / Will laugh a Siedge to ſcorne c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], page 150:
(transitive) To reject, turn down with disdain.
He scorned her romantic advances.
Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd. 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, page 39:
(transitive) To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.
She scorned to show weakness.
(intransitive) To scoff, to express contempt.
For miſerie doth braueſt mindes abate, / And make them ſeeke for that they wont to ſcorne, / Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne. 1578–1579, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale. [...] Dedicated to the Right Honorable the Ladie Compton and Mountegle”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. Whereof the Next Page Maketh Mention, London: Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head, published 1591, →OCLC:
fi ylenkatsoa (to scoff or express contempt) · fr dédaigner (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · qu alqochay (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · pl odrzucić (to reject, turn down) · de verachten (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · it disdegnare (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · mi hīkaka te ihu (to scoff or express contempt) · cs opovrhovat (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi ivata (to scoff or express contempt) · pl gardzić (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · de verspotten (to scoff or express contempt) · az alçaltmaq (to scoff or express contempt) · pt desdenhar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi kieltäytyä (to refuse to do something, as beneath oneself) · es menospreciar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · vi khinh bỉ (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi torjua (to reject, turn down) · ja 撥ね付ける (to reject, turn down) · ru насмехаться (to scoff or express contempt) · ru относи́ться с пренебрежением (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sk opovrhovať (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ja 嘲う (to scoff or express contempt) · bg присмивам се (to scoff or express contempt) · it disprezzare (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ru отвергать (to reject, turn down) · ar استنكف (to reject, turn down) · pl drwić (to scoff or express contempt) · he בָּז (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · la spernō (to reject, turn down) · ro disprețui (to scoff or express contempt) · la reiciō (to reject, turn down) · sco scorn (to scoff or express contempt) · ja 蔑む (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · nl verachten (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · hi तिरस्कार करना (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · kk елемеу (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · la contemnō (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · es despreciar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ar استخف (to scoff or express contempt) · sv förakta (to scoff or express contempt) · pl lekceważyć (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi halveksia (to scoff or express contempt) · nl minachten (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · enm scornen (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sco scorn (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sl zaničevati (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · hu pocskondiáz (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · cs pohrdat (to scoff or express contempt) · vi khinh miệt (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · cs opovrhovat (to scoff or express contempt) · ja 見下す (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ar اِحْتَقَرَ (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi antaa piupaut (to reject, turn down) · it disprezzare (to reject, turn down) · hu megvet (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ang ǣwan (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (to reject, turn down) · ro respinge (to reject, turn down) · bg оъхвърлям с презрение (to reject, turn down) · mi whakahoe (to scoff or express contempt) · pl wzgardzić (to reject, turn down) · pl szydzić (to scoff or express contempt) · sl prezirati (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sk ohrdnúť (to reject, turn down) · ta இகழ் (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi halveksia (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ro refuza (to reject, turn down) · cmn 鄙薄 (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · fi halveksua (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · hu lenéz (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · mi whakareko (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · el περιφρονώ (to reject, turn down) · el περιφρονώ (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sh презирати (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · mi tokoreko (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · de verschmähen (to reject, turn down) · fr mépriser (to scoff or express contempt) · ja 嘲る (to scoff or express contempt) · enm scornen (to scoff or express contempt) · ro disprețui (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · pt menosprezar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · pt desprezar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · es escarnecer (to scoff or express contempt) · fr mépriser (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · cs pohrdat (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sk odmietnuť (to reject, turn down) · es rechazar (to reject, turn down) · cs odmítat (to reject, turn down) · kk елемеу, елең қылмау (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · enm scornen (to reject, turn down) · es desdeñar (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · sh prezirati (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ru глумиться (to scoff or express contempt) · bg презирам (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ru презира́ть (to feel contempt or disdain for something or somebody) · ro urî (to scoff or express contempt)