Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Contemptuous for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Contemptuous" — adjective, pronounced /kənˈtemptʃuəs/, with the stress on "temp".
Narrator: Contemptuous means showing that you think someone or something is worthless and unworthy of respect.
Narrator: In plain English, contemptuous means scornful and sneering.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin contemptus, scorn, from contemnere, to despise, with the ending ous.
Narrator: "A contemptuous glance" describes a look that shows scorn.
Narrator: It differs from contemptible because contemptuous describes the person who scorns, whereas contemptible describes the one scorned.
Narrator: "Contemptuous of authority" is a second pattern, meaning showing no respect for rules or leaders.
Narrator: Literature, politics, law, psychology and journalism all rely on the word contemptuous.
Narrator: So remember: contemptuous means scornful, from the Latin for despising.
Speaker A: What does contemptuous mean?
Speaker B: Scornful! CONTEMPTUOUS comes from the Latin contemptus, scorn, so it carries a sneer in the voice.
Speaker A: So it describes the person doing the scorning?
Speaker B: Yes — contemptible describes the one who deserves it!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "She gave a contemptuous laugh"; "He was contemptuous of fools"; "A contemptuous reply followed" — laughs, attitude and replies.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't mix up contemptuous and contemptible, because the first describes who scorns, while the second describes who is scorned.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Scornful' the plain cousin, 'disdainful' the cool twin, 'sneering' the nasty alternative. The word keeps its icy charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "Contemptuous" in AI prompts — useful for customer support and chat moderation.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame tone?
Speaker B: Right. For support replies, you'd write:
Prompt: Rewrite this reply so it is no longer contemptuous and stays firm but polite.
Speaker A: How about analysis?
Speaker B: Ask the model to tag:
Prompt: Tag each forum post as friendly, neutral or contemptuous and explain the tag in one sentence.
Speaker A: Could it help with writing?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame characters:
Prompt: Write a villain's contemptuous reply to a hero's offer of peace in two sentences.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a teaching bot, try this:
Prompt: Explain the difference between contemptuous and contemptible with one example of each.
Contemptuous — meaning in Arabic & definition More C courses GL Dictionary