contemptible

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kənˈtɛmptəbəl/ UK /kənˈtɛmptəbəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
deserving scorn or disdain; despicable

His contemptible lies cost everyone dearly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · deserving scorn or disdain;... despicable detestable base vile mean ignoble abject worthless

Opposites

admirable estimable honorable praiseworthy laudable

Word family

Derived forms contemptiblycontemptibilitycontemptibleness

Related forms contempt contemptuous contemn

Simplified etymology

Contemptible, recorded from late Middle English, is based on contemn, meaning “treat or regard with contempt.” Contemn comes from Latin contemnere, meaning “disregard, scorn, avoid.”

Etymology

From Late Latin contemptibilis, from Latin contemnere ('to despise'), from con- (intensive) + temnere ('to scorn'), plus -ibilis.

contemptibilis Latin temnere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# contemptible

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɛmptəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈtɛmptəbəl/

## Meanings
1. deserving scorn or disdain; despicable

## Examples
- His contemptible lies cost everyone dearly.

## Synonyms
- despicable
- detestable
- base
- vile
- mean
- ignoble
- abject
- worthless

## Antonyms
- admirable
- estimable
- honorable
- praiseworthy
- laudable

## Derived Forms
- contemptibly
- contemptibility
- contemptibleness

## Related Forms
- contempt
- contemptuous
- contemn

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contemptibilis
- Root: temnere

## Etymology
From Late Latin contemptibilis, from Latin contemnere ('to despise'), from con- (intensive) + temnere ('to scorn'), plus -ibilis.

## AI Etymology
Contemptible is from Late Latin contemptibilis, from Latin contemnere ('to despise'), from con- (intensive) + temnere ('to scorn'), plus -ibilis. In present-day use, it means deserving scorn or disdain; despicable. Derived formations include contemptibly, contemptibility, and contemptibleness. Related vocabulary includes contempt, contemptuous, and contemn.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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