Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To regard or treat with haughty contempt: synonym: despise.
  • transitive verb To consider or reject (doing something) as beneath oneself.
  • noun A feeling or show of contempt and aloofness; scorn.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To think unworthy or worthless; reject as unworthy of notice or of one's own character; look upon with contempt and aversion; contemn; despise: as, to disdain a mean action.
  • To fill with scorn or contempt.
  • Synonyms Despise, etc. (See scorn), scout, spurn. See comparison of nouns under arrogance.
  • To be filled with scorn or contempt.
  • noun A feeling of contempt mingled with aversion; contempt; scorn.
  • noun The state of being despised; the state of feeling one′ s self disgraced; ignominy; disgrace.
  • noun That which is worthy of disdain.
  • noun Synonyms pride, Presumption, etc. (see arrogance), scornfulness, contemptuousness.See scorn, v.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To be filled with scorn; to feel contemptuous anger; to be haughty.
  • transitive verb To think unworthy; to deem unsuitable or unbecoming.
  • transitive verb To reject as unworthy of one's self, or as not deserving one's notice; to look with scorn upon; to scorn, as base acts, character, etc.
  • noun A feeling of contempt and aversion; the regarding anything as unworthy of or beneath one; scorn.
  • noun obsolete That which is worthy to be disdained or regarded with contempt and aversion.
  • noun obsolete The state of being despised; shame.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable A feeling of contempt or scorn.
  • verb transitive To regard (someone or something) with strong contempt.
  • verb intransitive, obsolete To be indignant or offended.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient
  • verb reject with contempt
  • noun lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  • verb look down on with disdain

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English disdeinen, from Old French desdeignier, from Vulgar Latin *disdignāre, from Latin dēdignārī : dē-, de- + dignārī, to deem worthy (from dignus, worthy; see dek- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French desdeignier (modern French dédaigner).

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