English
disdain
Pronunciation
  • enPR: dĭs-dān', IPA: /dɪsˈdeɪn/
Noun

disdain (uncountable)

  1. (uncountable) A feeling of contempt or scorn.
    The cat viewed the cheap supermarket catfood with disdain and stalked away.
    • 2018 June 24, Sam Wallace, "Harry Kane scores hat-trick as England hit Panama for six to secure World Cup knock-out qualification ↗," Telegraph (UK) (retrieved 24 June 2018):
      Everything that could go right for England did although they never felt lucky and they chuckled at Kane’s third that ricocheted off his heel while he was looking the other way. Somewhere in the Moscow outskirts one could only guess at the grand disdain Cristiano Ronaldo will have felt at being supplanted as the tournament’s top scorer in that manner.
    • 1598–1599 (first performance)​, William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act 3, scene 1]:
      Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes.
  2. (obsolete) That which is worthy to be disdained or regarded with contempt and aversion.
    • Most loathsome, filthy, foul, and full of vile disdain.
  3. (obsolete) The state of being despised; shame.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Verb

disdain (disdains, present participle disdaining; past and past participle disdained)

  1. (transitive) To regard (someone or something) with strong contempt.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, 1 Samuel 17:42 ↗:
      When the Philistine […] saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth.
    • 1880, Edward Henry Palmer (translator), The Qur'an, 1880, "Women", verse 170
      The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, is but the apostle of God and His Word, […] The Messiah doth surely not disdain to be a servant of God, nor do the angels who are nigh to Him; and whosoever disdains His service and is too proud, He will gather them altogether to Himself. But as for those who believe and do what is right, He will pay their hire and will give increase to them of His grace. But as for those who disdain and are too proud, He will punish them with a grievous woe, and they shall not find for them other than God a patron or a help.
  2. (intransitive, obsolete) To be indignant or offended.
    • 1526, William Tyndale (translator), Bible, Matthew XXI:
      When the chefe prestes and scribes sawe, the marveylles that he dyd [...], they desdayned, and sayde unto hym: hearest thou what these saye?
Synonyms Antonyms Translations

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