EN

Synonyms for contemn

  • verb

Most common

reject despise disdain scorn

All synonyms

Verb

1. Despise

despise, disdain, scorn, slight, look down on, reject, scout, neglect, hold in contempt, disregard, set at naught, scoff, deride, spurn, sneer

Other

vilipend formal dated

Antonyms

value, respect, fear

All antonyms of contemn →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To disdain; to value at little or nothing; to treat or regard with contempt.

Related words

Word family
contempt contemptibility contemptible contemptibly contemption contemptuous

Forms

Past participle
contemned
e.g. contemned → despised, disdained, scorned, slighted…

Example sentences

  • reject Voters may yet reject the misbegotten 'Dream Act'.
  • despise Tonight you're gonna see why I despise that woman.
  • disdain Tom didn't notice the look of disdain on Mary's face.
  • scorn Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
contemnsteady
rejectsteady
despiserising
disdainrising
scornsteady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

5 letters
scout1, scorn1, scoff1, sneer1, spurn1
6 letters
slight1, reject2, deride2
7 letters
neglect2, despise2, disdain2
8 letters
vilipend
9 letters
disregard3

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (reject2 = 2 syllables).