Contempt Meaning
/kənˈtɛmpt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
nounThe state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
Sentence Examples
The bold man glanced at the gangster with hatred and contempt.
I feel nothing but contempt for such dishonest behavior.
She looked at him with contempt.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The judge held the lawyer in ____ for repeatedly ignoring court orders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bold man glanced at the gangster with hatred and ____.
Word Origin & History
From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them."
— 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the survey results were known."
— 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 53:
"The panel voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend charging Mr. [Stephen K.] Bannon with criminal contempt of Congress for defying its subpoena, sending the issue to the House."
— 2021 October 19, Luke Broadwater, “House Panel Recommends Contempt Charge Against Bannon”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
"Justice Merchan has yet to issue a ruling on whether to find Mr. Trump in contempt."
— 2024 April 28, Maggie Haberman, Jonah E. Bromwich, “Trump’s Trial Could Bring a Rarity: Consequences for His Words”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The judge held the lawyer in ____ for repeatedly ignoring court orders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bold man glanced at the gangster with hatred and ____.