SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
contempt
noun
A strong feeling that someone or something is unworthy of respect.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Strong disrespect
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDerision expresses ridicule; contempt is the underlying judgment that someone or something is unworthy.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See contempt in use
The narrator's contempt for empty ceremony shapes the story.
At a fictional architecture seminar, a presenter showed disdain for a modest housing proposal, dismissing it as beneath serious consideration before reading its details. His contempt extended to its authors, whom he treated as unworthy of respect because they were inexperienced.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license