Definition

1. Verb:
   • To treat or regard with contempt; to scorn or despise: "Contemn" means to view someone or something as unworthy of respect or consideration, often with a strong feeling of disdain.

Usage

• Formal/Literary Context: "Contemn" is a formal, literary, and somewhat archaic verb. It is rarely used in everyday modern conversation but appears in historical texts, legal documents, or formal writing to express profound contempt.
• Direct Object: It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object (the thing or person being scorned).

Examples

• Verb:
  • The arrogant noble was known to contemn the common folk.
  • She contemned his cowardly actions and refused to speak to him again.
  • Philosophers sometimes contemn material wealth in pursuit of wisdom.

Advanced Usage

• "To hold in contemn": An older, more formal construction meaning to regard with contempt. This phrasing is now very rare.
  • The court held the traitor's actions in contemn.

Variants and Related Words

• Contemner (noun): A person who contemns.
  • He was a contemner of popular opinion.
• Contempt (noun): The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, unworthy, or beneath consideration. This is the much more common noun form.
  • Her face was a mask of pure contempt.
• Contemptible (adjective): Deserving contempt; despicable.
  • His betrayal was a contemptible act.
• Contemptuous (adjective): Showing contempt; scornful.
  • She gave him a contemptuous glance.

Synonyms

• Despise: To look down on with intense dislike.
• Scorn: To reject or dismiss as unworthy.
• Disdain: To regard or treat with haughty contempt.
• Look down on: (Informal) To regard as inferior.

Antonyms

• Admire: To regard with respect and warm approval.
• Respect: To feel deep admiration for someone or something.
• Esteem: To regard highly or favorably.
• Cherish: To protect and care for lovingly; to hold dear.

Notes on Usage

• Register: Due to its formal and archaic nature, using "contemn" in casual speech may sound unnatural or pretentious. "Despise," "scorn," or "look down on" are more common modern equivalents.
• Connotation: The word carries a strong connotation of moral or intellectual judgment, implying the object of contempt is considered vile, base, or profoundly unworthy.

Verb

1. look down on with disdain
   • He despises the people he has to work for
   • The professor scorns the students who don't catch on immediately