adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1. 1
   In a disrespectful or discourteous manner; condescendingly.

   "He argued with the judge contemptuously, showing no respect or remorse for his actions."

Adverb

1. 1
   without respect; in a disdainful manner wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

condescendinglycondescendinglycontumeliouslydisdainfullydisdainfullydisdainfully

Example

More examples

"Instead of slapping him in the face, she spit in it, and walked contemptuously away."

Etymology

From contemptuous + -ly.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.