contemn
kənˈtɛm/
verb
archaic
verb: contemn; 3rd person present: contemns; past tense: contemned; past participle: contemned; gerund or present participle: contemning
-
treat or regard with contempt.“it lay in Deronda’s nature usually to contemn the feeble”
synonyms: despise, scorn, treat with contempt, feel contempt for, look down on,disdain, slight, undervalue, disregard, deride, scoff/jeer at, mock, revile,spurn “would he contemn her for forwardness?”antonyms: value
Origin
late Middle English: from Latin contemnere, from con- (expressing intensive force) +temnere ‘despise’.
