misprise

A colleague's misprise of the intern's idea was evident in his dismissive gesture.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To undervalue or despise: "misprise" means to hold in low esteem, to treat with contempt, or to underestimate the worth or importance of someone or something. This is the primary meaning, reflecting a sense of scorn or disregard.
   • To undervalue in a literal sense: "misprise" can also mean to appraise or assess something at too low a value, especially in a financial or quantitative context.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • He misprised her contributions to the project, ignoring her hard work. (He undervalued and showed contempt for her efforts.)
  • The critic misprised the novel, calling it trivial when it was actually profound. (The critic despised the work, failing to recognise its depth.)
  • The jeweller misprised the diamond, offering far less than it was worth. (The jeweller undervalued the gem in his assessment.)

Advanced Usage

• "to misprise someone's abilities": to fail to recognise or respect someone's skills or talents.

  • She felt misprised by her colleagues, who never took her ideas seriously. (She felt undervalued and disrespected.)

• "to misprise a situation": to underestimate the seriousness or complexity of a circumstance.

  • The general misprised the enemy's strength, leading to a costly defeat. (He undervalued the opponent's power.)

Variants and Related Words

• Misprision (noun): a term with two distinct meanings:

  • A failure to appreciate or value something (from "misprise").
  • In legal contexts, a wrongful action or omission, such as "misprision of treason" (concealing knowledge of treason).

• Misprised (adjective): undervalued or despised.

  • The misprised poet gained fame only after his death. (The undervalued poet.)

Synonyms

• Despise: to feel contempt or a deep repugnance for.
• Undervalue: to set too low a value on.
• Disdain: to look down on with scorn.
• Underestimate: to judge something as less important or capable than it actually is.

Phrasal Verbs

(None commonly associated with "misprise"; it is a standalone verb.)

Related Idioms

(No common idioms directly use "misprise"; it is a formal or archaic term.)

Notes on Usage

• "Misprise" is a relatively rare word, often found in literary or formal contexts. It is more common in British English and may be considered archaic or poetic. The variant spelling "misprize" is also accepted.