disdainful

adjective

dis·​dain·​ful dis-ˈdān-fəl How to pronounce disdainful (audio)
Synonyms of disdainful
: full of or expressing contempt for someone or something regarded as unworthy or inferior : full of or expressing scorn or disdain
a disdainful glare
is disdainful of all modern art
disdainfully
dis-ˈdān-fə-lē How to pronounce disdainful (audio)
adverb
disdainfulness noun

Synonyms of disdainful

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proud, arrogant, haughty, lordly, insolent, overbearing, supercilious, disdainful mean showing scorn for inferiors.

proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.

too proud to take charity

arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.

a conceited and arrogant executive

haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.

a haughty aristocrat

lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.

a lordly condescension

insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.

ignored by an insolent waiter

overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.

an overbearing supervisor

supercilious implies a cool, patronizing haughtiness.

an aloof and supercilious manner

disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.

disdainful of their social inferiors

Examples of disdainful in a Sentence

He looked at the waiter with a disdainful glare. a disdainful attitude toward authority
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was delivered with sneers, an ugly, small-minded few minutes in support of the sclerotic, disdainful of dynamic change. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026 Trump, disdainful of international law and untroubled about the fate of the Palestinians, became the only President in fifty years not to support Palestinian self-rule. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Amusingly enough, someone who was neither perplexed nor disdainful was a young cast member by the name of Stephen Colbert. — Kelly Leonard, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The popularity of e-bikes and e-motos has soared since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving lawmakers and law enforcement scrambling to regulate the bikes that are often used by young riders ignorant or disdainful of the rules of the road. — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disdainful

Word History

Etymology

see disdain entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disdainful was circa 1542

Rhymes for disdainful

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Browse Nearby Words

disdainer
disdainful
disdainfully
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Cite this Entry

“Disdainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disdainful. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

disdainful

adjective
dis·​dain·​ful dis-ˈdān-fəl How to pronounce disdainful (audio)
: full of or expressing disdain
disdainfully
-fə-lē How to pronounce disdainful (audio)
adverb
disdainfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disdainful

Nglish: Translation of disdainful for Spanish Speakers

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