Definition of PATRONIZING (original) (raw)
: showing or characterized by a superior attitude towards others : marked by condescension
No more endearing is his patronizing jocularity …—
Marilyn Stasio
They say that by continuing to focus solely on the winners, historians have been as patronizing to their subjects as the colonialists themselves.—Ethan Bronner
… without being patronizing, she helps her Maasai friends with everything from land disputes to school problems.—The New Yorker
patronizingly
adverb
Throughout the evening, we've watched Stein alternate between patronizingly taking the students to task for their ignorance and spinning hilariously self-serving tales about his own accomplishments and famous friends. —Elisabeth Vincentelli
patronizingness noun
… behaved with an uncertain mixture of sympathy, patronizingness and control. —Anna Grimshaw
Examples of patronizing in a Sentence
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.
The same is true of the inconsistent — and patronizing — use of translation. —Samuel Ashworth, Washington Post, 24 July 2024 And in its attempt to leverage something that wasn’t entirely its to claim, at times the CNRP betrayed a view of the masses that was not only instrumentalist and patronizing but also almost feudal in its assumptions about the relationship between people and power. —Stéphanie Giry, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2015 Being cut out of a Malick movie is nothing new, but even in a small role, Clooney is effective as a commanding officer who gives a patronizing speech near the end of The Thin Red Line after our main characters have gone through hell yet again. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2024 Responses on social media suggested , with many considering his remarks to be disrespectful and patronizing. —Theo Burman, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for patronizing 
Word History
First Known Use
1827, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of patronizing was in 1827
Dictionary Entries Near patronizing
Cite this Entry
“Patronizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patronizing. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 27 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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