SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
scorn
noun
Open contempt or mocking disrespect.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Open contempt
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topScorn combines lack of respect with contempt. Mockery may be playful; contumely is a formal word for insulting treatment or language.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See scorn in use
The audience's scorn discouraged the boastful contestant.
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. A laugh of scorn followed when one student tried to explain the shared courtyard.
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