noun
Freq #568011
Meanings
-
1
noun
a person who regards someone or something with contempt
He was a vocal despiser of luxury and courtly ceremony.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed from despise + the agent suffix -er, literally 'one who despises.' Despise comes through Old French from Latin despicere, 'to look down on,' formed from de-, 'down,' + specere, 'to look.' The etymology preserves the metaphor behind contempt.