1
as in contemptuous
feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern
the actress gave the paparazzi a scornful glare before breezing on by them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slighting
intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value
the tenant's complaints were met with the scornful observation that he expected too much for the rent he was paying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scornful
And with a scornful undercurrent at the fact that Charli apparently stole Johannes out from under her.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Less tangibly, the disgust in Europe for Trump’s way of doing business—his swaggering, swindling, scornful style—can’t be erased.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Despite that criticism, Trump doubled down on his scornful comments about Reiner at a press conference on Monday.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Trump’s reaction to Modi’s trip to Tianjin has been scornful, claiming that India is offering to drop all tariffs on American goods.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Less tangibly, the disgust in Europe for Trump’s way of doing business—his swaggering, swindling, scornful style—can’t be erased.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Despite that criticism, Trump doubled down on his scornful comments about Reiner at a press conference on Monday.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
Trump’s reaction to Modi’s trip to Tianjin has been scornful, claiming that India is offering to drop all tariffs on American goods.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scornful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scornful
Adjective
-
Critics are sometimes contemptuous of the way superhero entertainment has been embraced by adults, who should presumably be making their way through the Booker Prize longlist.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Sara Hershkowitz’s wildly contemptuous Queen adds further soprano glory.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
In real life, Natalie is detached from her children and disdainful of her spouse, prone to violent outbursts as the farm spins out of her control.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, this just looks like virtue signaling to justify his controversial move to Baton Rouge, which is insulting to people actually affected by what the University of Mississippi represents.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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The 39-year-old man from Stowmarket, Suffolk, was charged with two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to harass, cause alarm or distress and failing to provide a blood specimen in custody.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The tricky part of being a celebrity like Firstman on the internet is that some people can conflate your comedic persona (which is maybe a little arrogant, a little colorful) with your real identity.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Celeste team argues that large, heavy drones pose a serious cybersecurity risk, as they could be hijacked and used for harm by malicious hackers.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
That’s not necessarily malicious.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
This subsided with unusual speed, however, as cricket fans took instead to sharing the self-deprecatory jokes coming over the border.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
22 June 2019
-
Philipps has acquired her 1-million-and-growing Instagram followers through her self-deprecatory humor, raw honesty and vulnerability.—
Sonja Haller,
USA TODAY,
11 July 2018
Adjective
-
To learn that zoos will be trafficking the sloths to other zoos and be used in breeding is abhorrent.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scornful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scornful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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