Disdainful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Disdainful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. feeling or showing open dislike for someone or something regarded as undeserving of respect or concern

   "a disdainful attitude toward people who work as waiters and waitresses"

   similar: abhorrent, contemptuous, scornful
   related: bold-faced, brash, brassy, brazen, cheeky, cocky, discourteous, disrespectful, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, arrogant, cavalier, highfalutin, high-handed, high-hat, pretentious, uppish, uppity, haughty, lofty, lordly, prideful, sniffish, snobbish, supercilious, pompous, self-important, superior, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful
   opposite: admiring, applauding, appreciative, approving
   near: deferential, regardful, respectful, accepting, tolerant, courteous, polite

2. having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself

   "disdainful of manual labor of any kind"

   similar: haughty, highfalutin, lofty, lordly, prideful, proud, superior
   related: complacent, conceited, egoistic, egotistic, important, self-assertive, self-conceited, self-contented, self-important, self-satisfied, smug, uppity, vain, vainglorious, arrogant, pretentious, sniffy, snobbish, stuck-up, supercilious, cavalier, overbearing, overweening, peremptory, swaggering, high-sounding, pompous, condescending, patronizing, cocky, overconfident, presumptuous, bloated, boastful, bombastic, self-glorifying, audacious, bold, brash, brassy, cheeky, cocksure, forward, impertinent, impudent, saucy, confident, presuming, self-assured, self-confident, sure, bossy, domineering, high-handed, imperious, egocentric, self-centered, selfish, dominating, magisterial, masterful
   opposite: humble, lowly, modest
   near: demure, homely, meek, unassuming, unpretending, unpretentious, bashful, retiring, shy, timid, diffident, self-doubting, acquiescent, compliant, deferential, ingratiating, resigned, submissive, unassertive, yielding, apologetic, cowering, cringing, shrinking, passive, quiet, reserved, subdued, unobtrusive

3. intended to make a person or thing seem of little importance or value

   "disdainful remarks regarding the cheap clothes that the local people were wearing"

   similar: belittling, contemptuous, decrying, degrading, demeaning, denigrative, denigratory, deprecatory, depreciative, depreciatory, derisory, derogative, derogatory, detractive, disparaging, pejorative, scornful, slighting, uncomplimentary
   related: aspersing, calumnious, defamatory, insulting, libelous, maligning, slandering, slanderous, vilifying, abusive, opprobrious, scurrilous, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, unkind, virulent, critical, denunciative, denunciatory, acrimonious, bitter, envious, jaundiced, jealous, rancorous, resentful, acrid, caustic, scathing, venomous
   opposite: commendatory, complimentary, laudative, laudatory
   near: admiring, adulatory, applauding, approving, friendly, positive, appreciative, respectful, kind, kindhearted, kindly, sympathetic, unmalicious, warm, warmhearted