Disdain
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A feeling of contempt or scorn. uncountable
"The cat viewed the cheap supermarket catfood with disdain and stalked away."
- 2 a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient wordnet
- 3 That which is worthy to be disdained or regarded with contempt and aversion. obsolete, uncountable
"Most loathsom, filthy, foul, and full of vile Disdain."
- 4 lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike wordnet
- 5 The state of being despised; shame. obsolete, uncountable
"The leaves and fruit maintain'd with beauty's sun ; Exempt from envy , but not from disdain"
- 1 To regard (someone or something) with strong contempt. transitive
"When the Philistine […] saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth."
- 2 reject with contempt wordnet
- 3 To be indignant or offended. intransitive, obsolete
"When the chefe prestes and scribes sawe, the marveylles that he dyd [...], they desdayned, and sayde unto hym: hearest thou what these saye?"
- 4 look down on with disdain wordnet
Example
More examples"Joyful let the soul be in the present, let it disdain to trouble about what is beyond and temper bitterness with a laugh. Nothing is blessed forever."
Etymology
From Middle English disdeynen, from Old French desdeignier (modern French dédaigner).
More for "disdain"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.