Definition of DISDAINS (original) (raw)
1
: to look on with scorn
disdained him as a coward
2
: to refuse or abstain from because of a feeling of contempt or scorn
disdained to answer their questions
3
: to treat as beneath one's notice or dignity
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for disdain
despise, contemn, scorn, disdain mean to regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration.
despise may suggest an emotional response ranging from strong dislike to loathing.
contemn implies a vehement condemnation of a person or thing as low, vile, feeble, or ignominious.
contemns the image of women promoted by advertisers
scorn implies a ready or indignant contempt.
scorns the very thought of retirement
disdain implies an arrogant or supercilious aversion to what is regarded as unworthy.
Examples of disdain in a Sentence
Noun
McCarthy's indifference to accolades and his disdain for grandstanding … turned into a disdain even for being understood. —
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2004 There is fierce disdain within the Pentagon for the passive U.N. peacekeepers who stood by while thousands were murdered in Bosnia's ethnic cleansing. —Joe Klein, Time, 24 Nov. 2003 But for all its playful love of puns and cool disdain for "suits," the high-tech world is, at heart, a cruel, unforgiving place ruled by the merciless dynamics of the marketplace. —Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 27 June 2002
He regarded their proposal with disdain. I have a healthy disdain for companies that mistreat their workers. Verb
The right eyes him [Thomas Jefferson] suspiciously as a limousine Jacobin so enamored of revolution that he once suggested we should have one every 20 years. The left disdains him as your basic race hypocrite. —Charles Krauthammer, Time, 22 May 2000 Only in our last days on the peninsula (the arm of Antarctica that polar scientists disdain as the "Banana Belt") did we see our first frozen sea … —Kate Ford, Wall Street Journal, 12 June 1998 His vehicle would be a form he both enjoyed and disdained—pulp fiction. —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times Book Review, 20 Sept. 1992 There is also evidence of epic womanizing that Mr. Schickel mentions but loftily announces that he disdains to tell us about. —Camille Paglia, New York Times Book Review, 21 July 1991
They disdained him for being weak. She disdained to answer their questions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More News: Wrestling Icon Sting Reveals Final Appearances for Classic Persona In a candid conversation with McAfee, McMahon opened up about her time as an on-screen character in WWE, reflecting on her love for playing the villain and her disdain for being a babyface. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 Anger at elites Why, then, is disdain for scientific experts appealing to so many Americans? —Dominik Stecuła, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
For the Post’s editorial board to disdain substantial Chinese production for the rest of the world is for those same editorialists to disdain the division of labor that is at the root of all productive advance. —John Tamny, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 Unlike drunkenness and hygiene issues — such as clipping fingernails and taking off shoes — which are widely disdained by fellow passengers, opinions on seat reclining mainly fall into two camps: those who say don’t do it, and others who argue the recline button exists for a reason. —Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for disdain 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English desdeyne, from Anglo-French desdaign, from desdeigner — see disdain entry 2
Verb
Middle English desdeynen, from Anglo-French desdeigner, dedeigner, from Vulgar Latin *disdignare, from Latin dis- + dignare to deign — more at deign
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of disdain was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near disdain
Cite this Entry
“Disdain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disdain. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 4 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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