contemptible

adjective

con·tempt·ible kən-ˈtem(p)-tə-bəl How to pronounce contemptible (audio)

: worthy of contempt

a contemptible snob

contemptible bigots

obsolete : scornful, contemptuous

contemptibility

kən-ˌtem(p)-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce contemptible (audio)

noun

contemptibleness noun

contemptibly

kən-ˈtem(p)-tə-blē How to pronounce contemptible (audio)

adverb

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What Is the Difference Between contemptuous and contemptible?

Contemptuous and contemptible are sometimes confused with each other. This is neither surprising, as they are similar in appearance, nor is it unprecedented: the words were used interchangeably for several hundred years (from the 16^th through the 18^th century), with each one meaning both "deserving contempt" and "showing contempt." By the early 19^th century, some commentators began raising objections when the words were used synonymously, suggesting that they should be distinguished, with contemptuous meaning only "showing contempt" and contemptible only "deserving contempt."

In the following passage, for example, a would-be critic is ridiculed for using contemptible in the sense "showing contempt":

“Young man! my opinion of you is very contemptible.” “All your opinions are contemptible,” rejoined Phillip, quietly. – Garry Avenel, Zou Mou, in The Iris, September, 1841

The distinction hinted at in this rebuke has been observed in English, by professional writers anyway, for close to 200 years.

Example Sentences

I've never met a more selfish, contemptible person. the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children

Recent Examples on the Web Have never come across a political force more nihilistic, dangerous & contemptible than today’s Republicans.

Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 This contemptible attack wasn’t an assault only on him, but on the West and all freethinkers.

Reza Pahlavi, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 Navigating contemptible bosses and the petty indignities that have always been inflicted on the ranks of working stiffs has never been easy.

Lindsay Ellis And Angela Yang, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Six years ago, Levy was backing Jeb Bush for president and dismissing Trump as contemptible.

Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2022 In its matter-of-factness, the film is nonetheless a work of outrage, less at individuals, even the most contemptible on view, than at France as a whole—postwar France and its self-silencing, self-exonerating political mythology.

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2022 Indeed, Don't Look Up takes a scattershot approach to lamenting humanity — from celebrities and media figures to politicians and ordinary joes — as by and large contemptible, moronic, and the hastener of its own destruction.

Andy Meek, BGR, 7 Jan. 2022 Shocked at the president’s contemptible and brazenly autocratic conduct, fellow Republicans set aside partisanship, fiercely condemned Trump and joined Democrats in voting to impeach the president.

Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2021 This discontent increased in the wake of a 1936 ruling known as Tipaldo, after its contemptible protagonist, a slave-driving New York factory owner, overturning a New York minimum wage law.

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 See More

contemptible

adjective

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

pitiful
lame
cheap
wretched
disgusting
dirty
hateful
nasty
mean
despicable
vile
deplorable
pitiable
sneaking
sorry
lousy
grubby
loathsome
odious
scurvy
paltry
detestable
scabby
disgraceful
abominable
shameful
abhorrent
repugnant
scummy
repulsive
ratty
revolting
dishonorable
discreditable
execrable
ignoble
disreputable
condemnable
reprehensible
craven
ignominious
cruddy
sordid
squalid
unprincipled
cowardly
shabby
unscrupulous
revulsive
reptilian
unethical
censurable
dastardly
base
reproachable
blamable
low

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

admirable
praiseworthy
laudable
meritorious
commendable
creditable
honorable
noble
honest
scrupulous
virtuous
redoubtable
upright
good
reputable
moral
righteous
high-minded
ethical
principled
right-minded
right

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

pathetic
pitiful
despicable
miserable
disgusting
sad
wretched
pitiable
lame
disgraceful
shameful
odious
detestable
abominable
deplorable
bad
abhorrent
disreputable
hateful
worthless
shameful
sorry
poor
discreditable
ignominious
dishonorable
notorious
unworthy
infamous
stinking
lousy
sordid
inferior
shocking
scandalous
beastly
misbegotten
unsavory
meritless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

admirable
respectable
worthy
decent
outstanding
excellent
meritorious
commendable
notable
noteworthy
creditable
noticeable
laudable
praiseworthy
perfect
honorable
noble
reputable
presentable
redoubtable
honest
flawless
straight

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

vile
immoral
nasty
dirty
detestable
despicable
cruel
ignoble
dishonorable
vicious
corrupt
sordid
ignominious
execrable
wretched
bad
snide
low-minded
evil
mean
paltry
base
currish
wicked
iniquitous
wrong
low
reprehensible
low-down
foul
depraved
censurable
disgraceful
miscreant
debased
shameful
perverted
unprincipled
blameworthy
unworthy
blamable
discreditable
degenerate
villainous
dissolute
debauched
unscrupulous
atrocious
disreputable
unethical

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

honorable
noble
virtuous
lofty
high
righteous
honest
excellent
ethical
good
upright
moral
scrupulous
venerable
commendable
straight
just
exemplary
respectable
high-minded
right
decent
seemly
proper
principled
right-minded
blameless
guiltless
reputable
irreproachable
incorruptible
uncorrupted
unerring

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of contemptible are despicable, pitiable, scurvy, and sorry. While all these words mean "arousing or deserving scorn," contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

In some situations, the words despicable and contemptible are roughly equivalent. However, despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

While in some cases nearly identical to contemptible, pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

Scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

The synonyms sorry and contemptible are sometimes interchangeable, but sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

单词	contemptible
释义	contemptible adjective con·tempt·ible kən-ˈtem(p)-tə-bəl 1 : worthy of contempt a contemptible snob contemptible bigots 2 obsolete : scornful, contemptuous contemptibility kən-ˌtem(p)-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun contemptibleness noun contemptibly kən-ˈtem(p)-tə-blē adverb Did you know? What Is the Difference Between contemptuous and contemptible? Contemptuous and contemptible are sometimes confused with each other. This is neither surprising, as they are similar in appearance, nor is it unprecedented: the words were used interchangeably for several hundred years (from the 16^th through the 18^th century), with each one meaning both "deserving contempt" and "showing contempt." By the early 19^th century, some commentators began raising objections when the words were used synonymously, suggesting that they should be distinguished, with contemptuous meaning only "showing contempt" and contemptible only "deserving contempt." In the following passage, for example, a would-be critic is ridiculed for using contemptible in the sense "showing contempt": “Young man! my opinion of you is very contemptible.” “All your opinions are contemptible,” rejoined Phillip, quietly. – Garry Avenel, Zou Mou, in The Iris, September, 1841 The distinction hinted at in this rebuke has been observed in English, by professional writers anyway, for close to 200 years. Synonyms cheap cruddy deplorable despicable dirty grubby lame lousy mean nasty paltry pitiable pitiful ratty scabby scummy scurvy sneaking sorry wretched See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences I've never met a more selfish, contemptible person. the contemptible thieves who stole the Christmas gifts intended for needy children Recent Examples on the Web Have never come across a political force more nihilistic, dangerous & contemptible than today’s Republicans. Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 This contemptible attack wasn’t an assault only on him, but on the West and all freethinkers. Reza Pahlavi, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 Navigating contemptible bosses and the petty indignities that have always been inflicted on the ranks of working stiffs has never been easy. Lindsay Ellis And Angela Yang, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Six years ago, Levy was backing Jeb Bush for president and dismissing Trump as contemptible. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2022 In its matter-of-factness, the film is nonetheless a work of outrage, less at individuals, even the most contemptible on view, than at France as a whole—postwar France and its self-silencing, self-exonerating political mythology. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2022 Indeed, Don't Look Up takes a scattershot approach to lamenting humanity — from celebrities and media figures to politicians and ordinary joes — as by and large contemptible, moronic, and the hastener of its own destruction. Andy Meek, BGR, 7 Jan. 2022 Shocked at the president’s contemptible and brazenly autocratic conduct, fellow Republicans set aside partisanship, fiercely condemned Trump and joined Democrats in voting to impeach the president. Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2021 This discontent increased in the wake of a 1936 ruling known as Tipaldo, after its contemptible protagonist, a slave-driving New York factory owner, overturning a New York minimum wage law. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 See More Word History Etymology Middle English, "unworthy, despicable," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "despicable, worthless," borrowed from Latin contemptibilis (Medieval Latin also, "contemptuous"), from contemptus, past participle of contemnere "to look down on, show no respect for, despise" + -ibilis -ible — more at contemn First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition contemptible adjective con·tempt·ible kən-ˈtemp-tə-bəl : deserving or causing a person to be despised a contemptible criminal a contemptible lie contemptible adjective 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 pitiful lame cheap wretched disgusting dirty hateful nasty mean despicable vile deplorable pitiable sneaking sorry lousy grubby loathsome odious scurvy paltry detestable scabby disgraceful abominable shameful abhorrent repugnant scummy repulsive ratty revolting dishonorable discreditable execrable ignoble disreputable condemnable reprehensible craven ignominious cruddy sordid squalid unprincipled cowardly shabby unscrupulous revulsive reptilian unethical censurable dastardly base reproachable blamable low Antonyms & Near Antonyms admirable praiseworthy laudable meritorious commendable creditable honorable noble honest scrupulous virtuous redoubtable upright good reputable moral righteous high-minded ethical principled right-minded right See More 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 pathetic pitiful despicable miserable disgusting sad wretched pitiable lame disgraceful shameful odious detestable abominable deplorable bad abhorrent disreputable hateful worthless shameful sorry poor discreditable ignominious dishonorable notorious unworthy infamous stinking lousy sordid inferior shocking scandalous beastly misbegotten unsavory meritless Antonyms & Near Antonyms admirable respectable worthy decent outstanding excellent meritorious commendable notable noteworthy creditable noticeable laudable praiseworthy perfect honorable noble reputable presentable redoubtable honest flawless straight See More 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 vile immoral nasty dirty detestable despicable cruel ignoble dishonorable vicious corrupt sordid ignominious execrable wretched bad snide low-minded evil mean paltry base currish wicked iniquitous wrong low reprehensible low-down foul depraved censurable disgraceful miscreant debased shameful perverted unprincipled blameworthy unworthy blamable discreditable degenerate villainous dissolute debauched unscrupulous atrocious disreputable unethical Antonyms & Near Antonyms honorable noble virtuous lofty high righteous honest excellent ethical good upright moral scrupulous venerable commendable straight just exemplary respectable high-minded right decent seemly proper principled right-minded blameless guiltless reputable irreproachable incorruptible uncorrupted unerring See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of contemptible are despicable, pitiable, scurvy, and sorry. While all these words mean "arousing or deserving scorn," contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values. a contemptible liar In some situations, the words despicable and contemptible are roughly equivalent. However, despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation. a despicable crime While in some cases nearly identical to contemptible, pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity. a pitiable attempt at tragedy Scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust. a scurvy crew of hangers-on The synonyms sorry and contemptible are sometimes interchangeable, but sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness. this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car
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contemptible

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser