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contempt
CIDE DICTIONARY
contempt, n. [L. contemptus, fr. contemnere: cf. OF. contempt. See Contemn.].
- The act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn. [1913 Webster]"Criminal contempt of public feeling." [1913 Webster]"Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great." [1913 Webster]
- The state of being despised; disgrace; shame. [1913 Webster]"Contempt and begarry hangs upon thy back." [1913 Webster]
- An act or expression denoting contempt. [1913 Webster]"Little insults and contempts." [1913 Webster]"The contempt and anger of his lip." [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]" Contempt is in some jurisdictions extended so as to include publications reflecting injuriously on a court of justice, or commenting unfairly on pending proceedings; in other jurisdictions the courts are prohibited by statute or by the constitution from thus exercising this process."
Syn. -- Disdain; scorn; derision; mockery; contumely; neglect; disregard; slight.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
contempt, n.
1 a feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration or worthless, or deserving scorn or extreme reproach.
2 the condition of being held in contempt.
3 (in full contempt of court) disobedience to or disrespect for a court of law and its officers.
1 a feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration or worthless, or deserving scorn or extreme reproach.
2 the condition of being held in contempt.
3 (in full contempt of court) disobedience to or disrespect for a court of law and its officers.
Idiom
beneath contempt utterly despicable. hold in contempt despise.
Etymology
ME f. L contemptus (as contemn)
DEVIL DICTIONARY
contempt
n. The feeling of a prudent man for an enemy who is too formidable safely to be opposed.THESAURUS
contempt
abhorrence, abjuration, abjurement, affront, antipathy, arrogance, aspersion, atrocity, audacity, aversion, bold front, boldness, brash bearing, brashness, brassiness, bravado, brazenfacedness, brazenness, brickbat, bumptiousness, cheekiness, chucking, chucking out, cockiness, contemptuousness, contradiction, contumacy, contumely, cut, daring, daringness, declination, declining, defial, defiance, defying, denial, denigration, deprecation, depreciation, derision, despisal, despising, despite, disapproval, discard, disclamation, discommendation, discounting, discredit, disdain, disesteem, disfavor, disgust, dishonor, dismissal, disownment, disparagement, dispraise, disregard, disrepute, disrespectfulness, distaste, disvaluation, dump, enormity, exception, exclusion, face of brass, flippancy, flout, flouting, freshness, gibe, hate, hatred, humiliation, ignominy, ignoring, impertinence, impudence, indignity, infamy, injury, insolence, insult, jeer, jeering, loathing, mock, mockery, nonacceptance, nonapproval, nonconsideration, odium, offense, opprobrium, outrage, passing by, pertness, put-down, putting away, putting out, rebuff, recalcitrance, recantation, refusal, rejection, renouncement, repudiation, repugnance, repulse, ridicule, rudeness, sauciness, scoff, scorn, scouting, scurrility, shame, spurning, stubbornness, taunt, throwing out, turning out, uncomplimentary remarkROGET THESAURUS
contempt
Ridicule
N ridicule, derision, sardonic smile, sardonic grin, irrision, scoffing, mockery, quiz, banter, irony, persiflage, raillery, chaff, badinage, quizzing, asteism, squib, satire, skit, quip, quib, grin, parody, burlesque, travesty, travestie, farce, caricature, buffoonery, practical joke, horseplay, scorn, contempt, derisory, derisive, mock, mocking, sarcastic, ironic, ironical, quizzical, burlesque, Hudibrastic, scurrilous, in ridicule.Contempt
N contempt, disdain, scorn, sovereign contempt, despisal, despiciency, despisement, vilipendency, contumely, slight, sneer, spurn, by-word, despect, contemptuousness, scornful eye, smile of contempt, derision, despisedness, contemptuous, disdainful, scornful, withering, contumelious, supercilious, cynical, haughty, bumptious, cavalier, derisive, contemptible, despicable, pitiable, pitiful, despised, downtrodden, unenvied, unrespectable (unworthy), contemptuously, Int, a fig for, bah!, never mind!, away with!, hang it!, fiddlededee!, a dismal universal hiss, the sound of public scorn, I had rather be a dog and bay the moon than such a.For further exploring for "contempt" in Webster Dictionary Online