English Explanatory Dictionary

scorn

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
  2. To reject, turn down with disdain.
  3. To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.
  4. To scoff, to express contempt.
noun
  1. Contempt or disdain.
  2. A display of disdain; a slight.
  3. An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.

Pronunciation

/skɔːn/ /skɔɹn/ en-us-scorn.ogg

Word forms

scorn scorns scorning scorned

Etymology

Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).

Synonyms

contemn disdain despect disrespect despise disesteem look down on misrespect scorn spurn fleer flout gird jeer jibe scoff deride mock ridicule sneer laugh at

Derived words

laugh to scorn scornful

Translations

Bulgarian: презрение Catalan: menyspreu Catalan: desdeny Chinese Mandarin: 輕蔑 /轻蔑 Czech: opovržení Dutch: minachting Dutch: verachting Esperanto: malestimo Finnish: ylenkatse Finnish: pilkka French: mépris French: dédain German: Verachtung Greek: περιφρόνηση Hebrew: שאט־נפש Hungarian: megvetés Irish: dímheas Irish: tarcaisne Italian: disprezzo Japanese: 軽蔑 Japanese: 鄙薄 Korean: 경멸 Latin: contemptus Middle English: scorn Persian: حقارت Plautdietsch: Spott Polish: pogarda Polish: lekceważenie Portuguese: desprezo Portuguese: escárnio Portuguese: desdém Romanian: dispreț Russian: презре́ние Scots: scorn Slovak: opovrhnutie Slovak: pohŕdanie Spanish: desprecio Spanish: desdén Spanish: escarnio Spanish: ludibrio Swedish: förakt Swedish: hån Tocharian B: maṣṣāt
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