scorn

CEFRC1

/skɔːn/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless.

  2. 02

    verb

    To treat someone or something as unworthy of respect.

Examples

  • His face and attitude showed the scorn he felt.

  • Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.

  2. To reject, turn down with disdain.

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.

More examples

In context

  • He scorned her romantic advances.

  • She scorned to show weakness.

  • We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

His cruel jokes about the poor girl filled everyone with blank for his nasty behavior.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).