Contempt

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈtɛmpt/

Definitions

1. A feeling of scorn or disdain toward someone or something considered worthless or beneath one's dignity
2. a strong feeling of disgust and disrespect directed toward someone or something deemed unworthy
3. an intense emotion combining scorn and disapproval felt when regarding a person or thing as inferior

Etymology: Old English had its own word for this feeling, "forsewennes", a noun built from "forsewen", a verb meaning to look down on or despise. English then swapped it out for a borrowing from Latin, and the native word faded away, so today's "contempt" is the newcomer that displaced an older English term. The Latin source is "contemptus", meaning "scorn", which comes from the verb "contemnere", "to scorn or despise". That verb is built from "com-", an intensifying prefix, and "temnere", "to despise". The Latin root is a fine example of how a verb of looking down on someone can grow into a noun naming the emotion behind that gaze.

Synonyms: disdain, scorn, disrespect

Antonyms: respect, admiration, esteem