What does Contempt mean?

Definitions for Contempt
kənˈtɛmptcon·tempt

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Contempt.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. contempt, disdain, scorn, despitenoun

    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

    "he was held in contempt"; "the despite in which outsiders were held is legendary"

  2. contempt, disrespectnoun

    a manner that is generally disrespectful and contemptuous

  3. contempt, scornnoun

    open disrespect for a person or thing

  4. contemptnoun

    a willful disobedience to or disrespect for the authority of a court or legislative body

Wiktionary

  1. contemptnoun

    The state of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.

  2. contemptnoun

    The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.

  3. contemptnoun

    Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. CONTEMPTnoun

    Etymology: contemptus, Latin.

    It was neither in contempt nor pride that I did not bow. Esth.

    The shame of being miserable,
    Exposes men to scorn and base contempt,
    Even from their nearest friends. John Denham.

    There is no action in the behaviour of one man towards another, of which human nature is more impatient than of contempt; it being a thing made up of these two ingredients, an undervaluing of a man, upon a belief of his utter uselessness and inability, and a spiteful endeavour to engage the rest of the world in the same belief and slight esteem of him. Robert South, Sermons.

    His friend smil’d scornful, and with proud contempt
    Rejects as idle what his fellow dreamt. John Dryden, Fables.

    The place was like to come unto contempt. 2 Mac. iii. 18.

Wikipedia

  1. Contempt

    Contempt is a pattern of attitudes and behaviour, often towards an individual or group, but sometimes towards an ideology, which has the characteristics of disgust and anger.The word originated in 1393, from the Latin word contemptus meaning "scorn". It is the past participle of contemnere and from com- intensive prefix + temnere "to slight, scorn". Contemptuous appeared in 1529.It is classified among Paul Ekman's seven basic emotions of contempt, anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Robert C. Solomon places contempt on the same continuum as resentment and anger, and he argues that the differences between the three are that resentment is anger directed towards a higher-status individual; anger is directed towards an equal-status individual; and contempt is anger directed towards a lower-status individual.

ChatGPT

  1. contempt

    Contempt refers to a strong feeling of disapproval or disdain towards someone or something considered inferior, worthless, or unworthy. It can also describe the act of disrespecting or disobeying authority, such as a court of law.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Contemptnoun

    the act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn

  2. Contemptnoun

    the state of being despised; disgrace; shame

  3. Contemptnoun

    an act or expression denoting contempt

  4. Contemptnoun

    disobedience of the rules, orders, or process of a court of justice, or of rules or orders of a legislative body; disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent language or behavior in presence of a court, tending to disturb its proceedings, or impair the respect due to its authority

Wikidata

  1. Contempt

    Contempt is a 1963 film directed by Jean-Luc Godard, based on the Italian novel Il disprezzo [A Ghost at Noon]. 1954. OCLC 360548. by Alberto Moravia. It stars Brigitte Bardot.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Contempt

    kon-tempt′, n. scorn: disgrace: (law) disregard of the rules or an offence against the dignity of a court (with of, for).—ns. Contemptibil′ity, Contempt′ibleness.—adj. Contempt′ible, despicable.—adv. Contempt′ibly.—adj. Contempt′uous, haughty, scornful.—adv. Contempt′uously.—n. Contempt′uousness. [See Contemn.]

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Contempt' in Nouns Frequency: #2573

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Contempt in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Contempt in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of Contempt in a Sentence

  1. Sophocles, Antigone:

    I have nothing but contempt for the kind of governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is best for the State; and as for the man who sets private friendship above the public welfare - I have no use for him either.

  2. Christopher Mattei:

    It seems to us that Alex Jones has made a deliberate decision that Alex Jones would rather suffer the contempt of court rather than expose Alex Jones to deposition.

  3. Tony Perkins:

    Their contempt for Catholicism is palpable. they believe that people who want to live by their faith are backwater people.

  4. Carrie Severino:

    This president, who has shown such contempt for the Constitution and the laws, is the last person who should be appointing [Scalia’s] successor.

  5. Mac Donald:

    Violent-crime increase — call it Ferguson Effect 2.0 or the Minneapolis Effect — has come on with a speed and magnitude that make Ferguson 1.0 seem tranquil, george Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May was justly condemned — but the event has now spurred an outpouring of contempt against the pillars of law and order that has no precedent in American history.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Contempt#10000#17209#100000

Translations for Contempt

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • احتقار, ازدراءArabic
  • пренебрежение, неуважение, презрениеBulgarian
  • ponížení, opovržení, despekt, pohrdání, přezíráníCzech
  • Beamtenbeleidigung, Verachtung, Blamage, Schande, MißachtungGerman
  • desgracia, desprecio, desacato, desdén, deshonra, vergüenzaSpanish
  • تحقیرPersian
  • kunniattomuus, halveksinta, ylenkatseFinnish
  • outrage, méprisFrench
  • בוזHebrew
  • निंदाHindi
  • fyrirlitning, óvirðingIcelandic
  • disprezzoItalian
  • בוזHebrew
  • 侮辱, 軽蔑, 侮蔑Japanese
  • ತಿರಸ್ಕಾರKannada
  • പുച്‌ഛംMalayalam
  • minachting, verachtingDutch
  • foraktNorwegian
  • obraza, pogarda, lekceważeniePolish
  • desprezo, desdém, contempto, desacatoPortuguese
  • презрение, пренебрежение, бесчестие, позор, неуважениеRussian
  • nadutost, nadmenost, prezrivost, prezirSerbo-Croatian
  • missnöje, misshag, missaktning, förakt, avsmakSwedish
  • அவமதிப்புTamil
  • ดูถูกThai
  • küçümsemekTurkish
  • nestümVolapük
  • 鄙視Chinese

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"Contempt." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Contempt>.

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