as in contempt
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
has nothing but scorn for newfangled ideas of any kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disdain
to show contempt for
scorned the religious traditions of their ancestors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to despise
to ignore in a disrespectful manner
she scorned the advice of her ophthalmologist and had the laser eye surgery anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scorn
Max Rego, The Hill, 16 Feb. 2026
Third, the scorn for this trio now seems priced in at these low levels relative to their highs.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026
In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scorn
Noun
Last year, the Department of Agriculture reopened applications for a federal scholarship for those studying agriculture at HBCUs after its suspension was met with scorn from lawmakers.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 16 Feb. 2026
Third, the scorn for this trio now seems priced in at these low levels relative to their highs.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
The truth is, Billy came onto the scene in the first season as somebody who felt scorned and betrayed by a big PR firm, who passed him over for a promotion.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026
In character as a free spirit who scorns social convention, Davis is all haughty tosses of the head and sneering lines.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scorn
Noun
-
Find something else to illustrate your contempt, not this image.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Which is why Aunt Vidala’s struggle to conceal her contempt for Aunt Lydia has been difficult to understand.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At his behest Aurangzeb—who disdained poetry—sent agents across India and Persia to assemble a literary circle befitting her.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In Sondheim’s body of work, Okrent searches for the autobiographical resonances that Sondheim himself mostly disdained.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Larysa was stuck in Belarus, a country allied with Russia that Nataliia despised and had refused to move to, despite her daughter’s many pleas.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Critics say this would come with strict reporting requirements, something dispensaries may despise and the DEA may not be ready for.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
23 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
Verb
-
When a referee is missing calls and clearly disrespecting the players, almost mocking them, they must be held accountable.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Bugles are very disrespected these days.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tilmant, who assumed office in January, seemed to disregard Mayor Phillips’s plea for a more-thorough evaluation of the safety implications of the quiet zone, abruptly calling for a vote on the project.—
Noah Daly
April 24,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Apr. 2026
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In choosing Love, the Cardinals disregarded conventional wisdom that quality running backs can be plucked much later in the draft and at a much lower cost.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Niall, for his part, only comes to hate himself more as gay acceptance goes mainstream, his initial distress over his sexuality compounded by humiliation at being unable to get past that distress.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Pahlavi is the son of Iran’s former shah, who was so widely hated that millions took to the streets in 1979 to force him from power.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scorn. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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