1
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
a contemptible attempt at science fiction by someone with no understanding of the genre
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
the contemptible behavior of the students who took part in the hazing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of contemptible
Most people in the anglosphere don’t follow this region, and those who do get their opinions from a small number of people with a contemptible worldview.
—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
—
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
At the time, some of LeBron’s critics saw this as contemptible.
—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Apr. 2026
Your death was preventable, unjust, tragic, and contemptible; utterly contemptible.
—
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
The death of Pope Francis, sadly, has not escaped the attention of these truly contemptible criminals.
—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
At the time, some of LeBron’s critics saw this as contemptible.
—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contemptible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemptible
Adjective
-
Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
-
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
Adjective
-
Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.
-
After these first three majors — and after a pathetic showing this week at Shinnecock — there's no reason to bet against it.
Adjective
-
Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment.
-
That person is referring to heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.
Adjective
-
Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?
-
On paper, some of the six, all of whom are far-right conservatives, have enviable educational backgrounds, but the record has proven that each one is openly political and willing to rubber-stamp nearly all of DeSantis’ lame and unconstitutional policies.
Adjective
-
Including some rather nasty, big corpo bullies who enlist specialist teams to hunt down clues, and other players, too.
-
Betty Kovacs, the eldest daughter of comedian Ernie Kovacs who with her sister Kippie and stepmother, actress-singer Edie Adams, was at the center of a nasty custody battle that kept Hollywood riveted in 1962, has died.
Adjective
-
Microchips are relatively cheap and are required for every pet in Los Angeles County over 4 months old.
-
Prove Your Claims With Evidence In a market flooded with AI capabilities, claims are cheap, and every launch sounds the same.
Adjective
-
Most notably, though, is its easy-to-clean material, which one flight attendant appreciates when up against dirty baggage claims and surprise spills.
-
Crafted with Grey Goose vodka and Carpano Dry Vermouth, the cocktail is prepared to each guest’s preference—whether dry, dirty, extra dirty, shaken or stirred—from the restaurant’s signature martini cart.
Adjective
-
Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said.
-
The Giants, who went on to lose yesterday, are now 31-46, and the vibes are wretched.
Cite this Entry
“Contemptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemptible. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
