contempt

B2 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /kənˈtɛmpt/ See IPA manual

Freq #8210

Meanings

1

noun
A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.

She looked at the cheating student with utter contempt.
2

noun
Disobedience or disrespect toward a court of law or its rules.

He was held in contempt of court for refusing to answer the judge.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a strong feeling that... scorn disdain despite

More despectdespiciencydespisal despisement

Opposites

honor respect reverence sympathy veneration

Word family

Forms contempts

Derived forms contemptiblecontemptivecontemptuousself-contempt

Related forms bah cheeky contemncontemnordespise ridicule

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

criminal contempt
conduct that seriously disrespects or obstructs a court's administration of justice

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Familiarity breeds contempt

Etymology

From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.

contemptus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

External links

# contempt

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɛmpt/
**Frequency rank:** 8210

## Meanings
1. A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.
2. Disobedience or disrespect toward a court of law or its rules.

## Examples
- She looked at the cheating student with utter contempt.
- He was held in contempt of court for refusing to answer the judge.

## Synonyms
- despect
- despiciency
- despisal
- despisement
- disdain
- scorn

## Antonyms
- honor
- respect
- reverence
- sympathy
- veneration

## Derived Forms
- contemptible
- contemptive
- contemptuous
- self-contempt

## Related Forms
- bah
- cheeky
- contemn
- contemnor
- despise
- ridicule

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contemptus

## Etymology
From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.

## AI Etymology
contempt is a noun. It is from Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes. Historical forms in the chain include contemptus (Latin). Current senses include a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect and disobedience or disrespect toward a court of law or its rules. Derived forms include contemptible, contemptive, contemptuous, and self-contempt. Related words include bah, cheeky, contemn, and contemnor.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

markdown