disdain
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.
- Synonyms:
- arrogance, haughtiness
- Antonyms:
- admiration
noun
-
a feeling or show of superiority and dislike; contempt; scorn
verb
-
(tr; may take an infinitive) to refuse or reject with disdain
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
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.
DeSorbo was a bridesmaid at Batula’s wedding and vocal from the get-go about her disdain for Cooke.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 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
In addition to grime, gore and disdain for governments, the ragtime gangsters of “Peaky Blinders” provided a minor education.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
To the disdain of purists, so much of the Super Bowl coverage is about anything but the football.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
Let his father keep his disdain and his spirit, too.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.