Word
Definition
n. a strong feeling that someone or something is worthless and does not deserve any respect. You feel this when you think someone is far below you or has done something very bad.
n. a feeling of contempt or disdain toward a person or object considered despicable or unworthy. Often implies a sense of superiority on the part of the observer.
Examples
“He looked at the cheap toy with scorn.”
“The politician's proposal was met with scorn by the public, who felt it ignored their most basic needs.”
“The artist treated the critics' negative reviews with quiet scorn, refusing to acknowledge their authority to judge his experimental new direction.”
Examples
simple
“He looked at the cheap toy with scorn.”
contextual
“The politician's proposal was met with scorn by the public, who felt it ignored their most basic needs.”
complex
“The artist treated the critics' negative reviews with quiet scorn, refusing to acknowledge their authority to judge his experimental new direction.”
Usage
Commonly follows the prepositions 'with' or 'in', and often takes the preposition 'for' to indicate the target of the feeling.
Real-World Examples
“When children become immersed in a book series on their own, in particular, it can help them develop connections with characters they grow to know, love or scorn.” “But our scorn of sweat is entirely undeserved.” Etymology
Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/scorn
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0