What does “contempt” mean?
- 1
nouna strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and deserves no respect
He looked at the offer with contempt.
- 2
nounthe crime of disobeying or disrespecting a court, in “contempt of court”
The journalist was jailed for contempt of court.
Contempt at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /kənˈtɛmpt/ · kun-TEMPT
How to use “contempt” correctly
“Contemptuous” = showing contempt; “contemptible” = deserving contempt. “Familiarity breeds contempt” is a well-known saying.
Common phrases with “contempt”
- with contempt
- contempt for
- contempt of court
- beneath contempt
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- scorn
- disdain
- disrespect
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- respect
- admiration
Word family
- contemptuous
- contemptible
“contempt” is on these word lists
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