contempt

noun

(uncountable) The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.

The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.

(law) Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.

(chess, uncountable) Ellipsis of contempt factor. [(chess, uncountable) The score assigned to a draw during calculation, usually negative to discourage playing for a draw and encourage playing for a win.]

Roots

contemno-tempt · Latin · scorn, despise

Synonyms for contempt

disdainn scornn contemptuousnessn disesteemn contumelyn derisionn despisingn disparagementn disgustn distasten loathingn opprobriumn odiumn antipathyn disfavorn floutingv

Synonyms & related words for contempt

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of contempt — including disdain, scorn, contemptuousness, disesteem, contumely, derision. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to contempt

Explore words related to contempt — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include disrespect, misprize, contemner, contemptuous, contemning, contemnor, scornful, contemnible. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for contempt

Common synonyms for contempt include disdain, scorn, contemptuousness, disesteem, contumely, derision, despising, disparagement — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does contempt come from?

The word contempt breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -tempt, from Latin contemno (“scorn, despise”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.