contempt
C1Formal, literary, and legal. Less common in casual conversation.
Definition
Meaning
The feeling that a person or thing is worthless, beneath consideration, or deserving of scorn.
1. In law: willful disobedience to or open disrespect for the rules or orders of a court. 2. A general attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior or unworthy of respect.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a combination of moral judgment, superiority, and disgust. Stronger than 'dislike' or 'disapproval'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily legal: "contempt of court" is standard in both, but UK legal contexts might use 'in contempt of court' slightly more formally.
Connotations
Identical core meaning. Slightly more literary/formal in everyday UK English than US, but negligible.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both legal and formal/literary contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
contempt for + NP (person/thing)contempt of + NP (law: court, parliament)in contempt of + NP (legal)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “familiarity breeds contempt”
- “beneath contempt”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe a dismissive attitude towards competitors, ideas, or unethical practices (e.g., "He spoke with contempt about the industry's lobbying tactics").
Academic
Used in political science, sociology, and literary analysis to describe social attitudes or character motivations.
Everyday
Describes strong personal disdain (e.g., "I have nothing but contempt for his lies").
Technical
Primarily a legal term: "contempt of court," "civil/criminal contempt."
Examples
By Part of Speech
adverb
British English
- He waved his hand contemptuously.
- She spoke contemptuously of the proposal.
American English
- He snorted contemptuously.
- She dismissed the idea contemptuously.
adjective
British English
- a contemptuous glance
- a contemptible lack of integrity
American English
- a contemptuous smirk
- contemptible behavior
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She looked at him with contempt after he told the lie.
- He felt nothing but contempt for the cheating player.
- His contempt for bureaucratic inefficiency was evident in his report.
- The judge warned the lawyer he could be held in contempt of court.
- Her memoir was dripping with contempt for the political establishment of the era.
- The philosopher argued that cynicism is often merely contempt disguised as wisdom.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'con-' (completely) and 'tempt' (as in 'temptation'). To treat someone with contempt is to consider them so low/bad they aren't even a 'temptation' or worthy of your consideration.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTEMPT IS DOWN / LOOKING DOWN ON ("He looks down on them with contempt."), CONTEMPT IS A COLD EMOTION ("icy contempt").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'презрение' in all contexts; 'contempt' is stronger and more judgmental than general 'неприязнь' (dislike). The legal term 'contempt of court' has no direct single-word equivalent.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'for' incorrectly: *'contempt against him' (correct: 'contempt for him').
- Confusing 'contemptible' (deserving contempt) and 'contemptuous' (showing contempt).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase best describes the core meaning of 'contempt'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily a feeling or attitude. The legal term 'contempt of court' refers to actions (disobedience) that show disrespect.
'Contemptible' describes someone/something that *deserves* contempt (e.g., a contemptible act). 'Contemptuous' describes someone who *shows* contempt (e.g., a contemptuous tone).
Rarely. It is almost always negative, though one might speak of 'healthy contempt' for corruption, framing it as morally justified disdain.
A legal finding that someone has disobeyed or been disrespectful to the authority of a court or legislature, which can result in fines or imprisonment.
Collections
Part of a collection
Nuanced Emotions
C2 · 48 words · Precise vocabulary for complex emotional states.