disdainful

[dis-deyn-fuhl]

adjective

1. full of or showing disdain; scornful.

   Synonyms: supercilious, haughty, derisive, contemptuous

disdainful

/ dɪsˈdeɪnfʊl /

adjective

1. showing or feeling disdain

Other Word Forms

• disdainfulness noun
• disdainfully adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disdainful¹

First recorded in 1535–45; disdain + -ful

Example Sentences

From the directors' box came disdainful comments, on the lack of defensive work by the main stars, despite meetings between the manager and them to turn things around, and Ancelotti's management of emerging talents.

From BBC

Following England regularly is to know captain Ben Stokes is disdainful about the idea of being "ruthless".

From BBC

That posture will surely ruffle the feathers of an “America First” president enamored of dictators and disdainful of allies.

From Los Angeles Times

This time he is not just a disdainful bystander but one of the targets of the discontent, challenging him to navigate the treacherous waters of campus politics better than Lyndon B. Johnson did in 1968.

From New York Times

In playing Capote Tom Hollander sustains a constant level of pathetic deflation barely hidden by his disdainful behavior toward people who for reasons that are never persuasively explained, still care about him.

From Salon

Related Words

• aloof 
• arrogant 
• averse 
• contemptuous 
• derisive 
• haughty 
• unsympathetic