SCORN

contempt, scorn

(noun) open disrespect for a person or thing

contempt, disdain, scorn, despite

(noun) lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; “he was held in contempt”; “the despite in which outsiders were held is legendary”

reject, spurn, freeze off, scorn, pooh-pooh, disdain, turn down

(verb) reject with contempt; “She spurned his advances”

contemn, despise, scorn, disdain

(verb) look down on with disdain; “He despises the people he has to work for”; “The professor scorns the students who don’t catch on immediately”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Verb

scorn (third-person singular simple present scorns, present participle scorning, simple past and past participle scorned)

(transitive) To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.

(transitive) To reject, turn down.

(transitive) To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.

(intransitive) To scoff, to express contempt.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb which takes the to infinitive. See English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (to feel contempt): see also despise

• (to scoff): deride, mock, ridicule, scoff, sneer

Noun

scorn (countable and uncountable, plural scorns)

(uncountable) Contempt or disdain.

(countable) A display of disdain; a slight.

(countable) An object of disdain, contempt, or derision.

Usage notes

• Scorn is often used in the phrases pour scorn on and heap scorn on.

Synonyms

• See also contempt

Anagrams

• Crons, corns

Source: Wiktionary

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Scorn, n. Etym: [OE. scorn, scarn, scharn, OF. escarn, escharn, eschar, of German origin; cf. OHG. skern mockery, skern to mock; but cf. also OF. escorner to mock.]

1. Extreme and lofty contempt; haughty disregard; that disdain which aprings from the opinion of the utter meanness and unworthiness of an object. Scorn at first makes after love the more. Shak. And wandered backward as in scorn, To wait an æon to be born. Emerson.

2. An act or expression of extreme contempt. Every sullen frown and bitter scorn But fanned the fuel that too fast did burn. Dryden.

3. An object of extreme disdain, contempt, or derision. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Ps. xliv. 13. To think scorn, to regard as worthy of scorn or contempt; to disdain. "He thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone." Esther iii. 6.

– To laugh to scorn, to deride; to make a mock of; to redicule as contemptible.

Syn.

– Contempt; disdain; derision; contumely; despite; slight; dishonor; mockery.

Scorn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scorned; p. pr. & vb. n. Scoring.] Etym: [OE. scornen, scarnen, schornen, OF. escarning, escharnir. See Scorn, n.]

1. To hold in extreme contempt; to reject as unworthy of regard; to despise; to contemn; to disdain. I scorn thy meat; 't would choke me. Shak. This my long sufference, and my day of grace, Those who neglect and scorn shall never taste. Milton. We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful. C. J. Smith.

2. To treat with extreme contempt; to make the object of insult; to mock; to scoff at; to deride. His fellow, that lay by his bed's side, Gan for to laugh, and scorned him full fast. Chaucer. To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously. Shak.

Syn.

– To contemn; despise; disdain. See Contemn.

Scorn, v. i.

Definition: To scoff; to act disdainfully. He said mine eyes were black and my hair black, And, now I remembered, scorned at me. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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