as in disdain
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
my undying contempt for people who abuse animals
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Recent Examples of contempt
Trump’s erratic tariffs, his contempt for NATO, and uneven support for Ukraine’s defense against a Russian invasion have left him fairly alone.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Everything Leo cherishes, Trump holds in contempt.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Lawlor’s account helps explain why this contempt is so corrosive.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The small band of House Republicans who backed the effort to subpoena former Attorney General Pam Bondi have brushed off a plan from Democrats to hold her in contempt, leading to a split in the parties on how much there is to glean from hearing from her.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Philip Elliott, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Everything Leo cherishes, Trump holds in contempt.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Lawlor’s account helps explain why this contempt is so corrosive.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The small band of House Republicans who backed the effort to subpoena former Attorney General Pam Bondi have brushed off a plan from Democrats to hold her in contempt, leading to a split in the parties on how much there is to glean from hearing from her.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contempt
Noun
-
Until then, the SPLC mainly made money off of its donor base’s disdain toward the Ku Klux Klan.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
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Part of what made La Peste distinctive was the vocal balance Dayton struck, between disdain and an almost deadpan affect.—
Eric R. Danton,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the War on Terror persisted and mutated into nightmares in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then Syria, which unleashed that darkness in the form of terrorist states and a refugee crisis that spread anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred to Europe, the United States, and beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contempt. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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