Synonyms for scornful
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Contemptuous
contemptuous, disdainful, derisive, dismissive, withering, disrespectful, insulting, sniffy, insolent, slight dated, contumelious formal dated
Other
blistering, deprecative, sneerful, pathetisad informal rare, derisionary dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Showing scorn or disrespect; contemptuous; scathing; withering.
Example sentences
- dismissive Everybody hates Fadil for his dismissive attitude.
- contemptuous Tom seems to be contemptuous of ordinary people.
- derisive His derisive laughter made me think that I was wrong.
- disdainful Dan isn't an arrogant and disdainful guy.
- blistering Layla felt her scalp was blistering.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| scornful | rising | |
| dismissive | rising | |
| contemptuous | steady | |
| derisive | rising | |
| disdainful | rising | |
| blistering | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- slight1, sniffy2
- 8 letters
- insolent3, derisive3, sneerful
- 9 letters
- insulting3, withering3
- 10 letters
- dismissive3, blistering3, disdainful3, pathetisad
- 11 letters
- deprecative, derisionary
- 12 letters
- contemptuous4, contumelious
- 13 letters
- disrespectful4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (sniffy2 = 2 syllables).