scorn

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /skɔɹn/ UK /skɔːn/ See IPA manual

Freq #18579

Meanings

1

verb
To feel or show that you think someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.

The critics scorned his first novel as childish.
2

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

She looked at him with scorn.
3

verb
To refuse something proudly, as if it were beneath you.

She scorned his offer of help.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to feel or show that you... despise disdainlook down oncontemn

2 noun · a strong feeling that... contempt disdain

3 verb · to refuse something... reject spurn

Word family

Forms scornedscorningscorns

Derived forms scornful

Simplified etymology

Scorn is a shortened form of Old French escarn, a word of Germanic origin.

Etymology

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”).

scornen Middle English escharnir Old French *escarnire la-vul *skarnijan Proto-West Germanic *skeraną Proto-Germanic *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd- Proto-Indo-European escarn Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# scorn

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /skɔɹn/
**IPA (UK):** /skɔːn/
**Frequency rank:** 18579

## Meanings
1. To feel or show that you think someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.
2. A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.
3. To refuse something proudly, as if it were beneath you.

## Examples
- The critics scorned his first novel as childish.
- She looked at him with scorn.
- She scorned his offer of help.

## Derived Forms
- scornful

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: scornen
- Root: escharnir
- Root: *escarnire
- Root: *skarnijan
- Root: *skeraną
- Root: *(s)ker-
- Root: *(s)ḱerd-
- Root: escarn

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
Scorn has the etymology 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”). In present-day use, it can mean to feel or show that you think someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect, or a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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