contempt
[noun]
Synonyms: scorn, derision, disdain, disregard, disrespect, mockery, neglect, slight

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Antonyms: regard
Contrasted words: awe, fear, reverence
Related Words: antipathy, aversion, distaste, repugnance

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English Thesaurus: hate, can’t stand/can’t bear, loathe, detest, despise, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

con‧tempt /kənˈtempt/ noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: contemptus, from contemnere 'to think of with contempt', from com- ( ⇒ COM-) + temnere 'to despise']

1. a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserves no respect
contempt for
The contempt he felt for his fellow students was obvious.
utter/deep contempt
The report shows utter contempt for women’s judgement.
open/undisguised contempt
She looked at him with undisguised contempt.
The public is treated with contempt by broadcasters.
How could she have loved a man who so clearly held her in contempt?
beneath contempt
That sort of behaviour is simply beneath contempt (=does not deserve respect or attention).

2. law disobedience or disrespect towards a court of law:
He was jailed for seven days for contempt of court.
in contempt of something
He was found in contempt of the order.

3. complete lack of fear about something
contempt for
his contempt for danger

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

contempt
noun
I. lack of respect
ADJ. deep, utter, withering | cold, icy | healthy She'd developed what she considered a healthy contempt for authority.
barely/thinly disguised
VERB + CONTEMPT feel, have, hold sb/sth in He felt nothing but contempt for them. Politicians seem to be generally held in contempt by the police.
betray, demonstrate, display, show His remarks betray an utter contempt for the truth (= are completely false).
develop | regard sb/sth with, treat sb/sth with | deserve I shall treat that suggestion with the contempt it deserves.
PREP. ~ for He has a deep contempt for racists.
beneath ~ His treatment of his children is beneath contempt (= so bad it is not even worth feeling contempt for).
with ~ She looked at him with barely disguised contempt.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

contempt
II. (also
contempt of court) refusal to obey a court
ADJ. civil, criminal
VERB + CONTEMPT be held in She was held in contempt for refusing to testify.
PREP. in ~

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

contempt

treat somebody/something with contempt
The opinions of the public should not be ignored or treated with contempt.
have contempt for somebody/something (also feel contempt for somebody/something)
He had a deep contempt for authority.
show contempt
Her face showed clearly the contempt she felt for them.
hold somebody/something in contempt (=have a low opinion of something or someone, and show it)
He was one of those men who hold in contempt those who do not share his point of view.
utter/total contempt
Sally looked at him with utter contempt.
the utmost contempt
Many people regarded the government with the utmost contempt.
open/undisguised contempt (=that you do not try to hide)
Her expression was one of open contempt.
deep contempt (=great contempt)
There is a deep contempt for the commercialism in the West.
cold/icy contempt (=that shows in a very unfriendly way)
I noticed the icy contempt in his voice.
withering contempt (=that makes you feel very inferior)
She treated some of her staff with withering contempt.
a look of contempt
He gave her a look of contempt that made her want to hit him.
have/feel/show etc nothing but contempt
The public should have nothing but contempt for bad journalism.
treat somebody/something with the contempt they deserve
She treated these accusations with the contempt they deserved.
familiarity breeds contempt (=used to say that if you know someone very well, you may respect them less)

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

hate verb [transitive not in progressive] to dislike someone or something very much:
Billy hated his stepfather.
He hated the fact that his wife was more successful than he was.
She hates people being late.
can’t stand/can’t bear to hate someone or something. Can’t stand is less formal than hate, and is very common in everyday English:
She’s OK, but I can’t stand her husband.
He couldn’t bear the thought of life without Nicole.
She can’t stand being on her own.
loathe /ləʊð $ loʊð/
detest verb [transitive not in progressive] to hate something or someone very much. Loathe and detest are a little more formal than hate:
He loathed housework.
Greg had detested his brother for as long as he could remember.
She evidently loathes her ex-husband.
despise verb [transitive not in progressive] to hate someone or something very much and have no respect for them:
He despised the man and could never forgive him for what he had done.
They despised the wealth and consumerism of the West.
abhor /əbˈhɔː $ əbˈhɔːr, æb-/ verb [transitive not in progressive] formal to hate something because you think it is morally wrong:
He abhorred violence.
We abhor racism in any form.
be full of hate/be filled with hate
People’s faces were full of hate.
a look of hate
He gave me a look of pure hate as I entered the room.
a message of hate
White nationalists are using the media to preach a message of hate.
sb’s eyes are burning/smouldering/blazing with hate literary
Then he noticed the dark eyes, smouldering with hate.
absolute/pure hate (=complete and total hate)
His speech was an expression of pure hate.
a hate figure (=someone who is hated by a lot of people)
After the incident, he became a hate figure in the British press.
hate mail (=letters or messages expressing hate and threats towards someone)
Since appearing on the show she has even received hate mail from the public.
hatred an angry feeling of deep dislike for someone or something:
his hatred of violence
It is easy to understand their hatred for the invaders of their country.
racial hatred (=of people who belong to a different race)
loathing a very strong feeling of hatred for someone or something that you think is extremely unpleasant:
I felt nothing but loathing for him after the way he’d treated me.
animosity a feeling of hatred and anger that often makes people behave unpleasantly to each other:
The animosity between parents who are getting a divorce can often cause great suffering to their children.
abhorrence formal a deep feeling of hatred towards something that you think is morally wrong or unpleasant:
the abhorrence of terrorism by all decent people
contempt a feeling of hate towards someone or something you think does not deserve any respect at all:
She looked at him with contempt.
I have nothing but contempt for these people.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hatred an angry feeling of deep dislike for someone or something:
his hatred of violence
It is easy to understand their hatred for the invaders of their country.
racial hatred (=of people who belong to a different race)
hate the angry feeling that someone has when they hate someone and want to harm them:
His mind was filled with hate and the desire for revenge.
Her love for him turned to hate, and she tore up all his old letters.
Thatcher became a hate figure for the left (=someone who many people hate).
His enemies started a hate campaign against him in the press.
loathing a very strong feeling of hatred for someone or something that you think is extremely unpleasant:
I felt nothing but loathing for him after the way he’d treated me.
animosity a feeling of hatred and anger that often makes people behave unpleasantly to each other:
The animosity between parents who are getting a divorce can often cause great suffering to their children.
abhorrence formal a deep feeling of hatred towards something that you think is morally wrong or unpleasant:
the abhorrence of terrorism by all decent people
contempt a feeling of hate towards someone or something you think does not deserve any respect at all:
She looked at him with contempt.
I have nothing but contempt for these people.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲