disdain |dis?d?n| noun the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt : her upper lip curled in disdain | an aristocratic disdain for manual labor. verb [ trans. ] consider to be unworthy of one's consideration : gamblers disdain four-horse races. See note at despise . refuse or reject (something) out of feelings of pride or superiority : she remained standing, pointedly disdaining his invitation to sit down | [with infinitive ] he disdained to discuss the matter further. ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French desdeign (noun), desdeignier (verb), based on Latin dedignari, from de- (expressing reversal) + dignari 'consider worthy' (from dignus 'worthy' ).
Thesaurus
disdain noun she looked at him with disdain contempt, scorn, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision, disrespect; disparagement, condescension, superciliousness, hauteur, haughtiness, arrogance, snobbishness, indifference, distaste, dislike, disgust. antonym respect. verb 1 she disdained vulgar exhibitionism scorn, deride, pour scorn on, regard with contempt, sneer at, sniff at, curl one's lip at, look down one's nose at, look down on; despise; informal turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh. See note at despise . 2 we disdained his invitation spurn, reject, refuse, rebuff, disregard, ignore, snub; decline, turn down, brush aside.
Thesaurus
disdain noun she looked at him with disdain contempt, scorn, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision, disrespect; disparagement, condescension, superciliousness, hauteur, haughtiness, arrogance, snobbishness, indifference, distaste, dislike, disgust. antonym respect. verb 1 she disdained vulgar exhibitionism scorn, deride, pour scorn on, regard with contempt, sneer at, sniff at, curl one's lip at, look down one's nose at, look down on; despise; informal turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh. See note at despise . 2 we disdained his invitation spurn, reject, refuse, rebuff, disregard, ignore, snub; decline, turn down, brush aside.