- open contempt or disdain for a person or thing; derision
- an object of contempt or derision
- to treat with contempt or derision
- (transitive) to reject with contempt
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
scorn /skɔrn/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- open contempt;
disdain:She felt only scorn for the man who tried to get her fired.
v. [~ + object]
- to treat or regard with contempt or disdain:She scorned my help.
- See contempt.
scorn
(skôrn),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
v.i.
scorn′er, n.
scorn′ing•ly, adv.
- open or unqualified contempt;
disdain:His face and attitude showed the scorn he felt. - an object of derision or contempt.
- a derisive or contemptuous action or speech.
- Idioms laugh to scorn, to ridicule;
deride:Her good advice was laughed to scorn.
v.t.
- to treat or regard with contempt or disdain:They scorned the old beggar.
- to reject, refuse, or ignore with contempt or disdain:She scorned my help.
v.i.
- to mock;
jeer.
- Old French escharnir, eschernir
Gmc - Gmc (compare obsolete Dutch schern mockery, trickery); (verb, verbal) Middle English skarnen, sc(h)ornen
- Old French escarn
- (noun, nominal) Middle English scorn, scarn 1150–1200
scorn′ing•ly, adv.
- 1. contumely. See contempt. 5. disdain, contemn, despise, detest.
- 3. praise.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
scorn /skɔːn/ n
'scorn' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
big deal
- blister
- bridle
- byword
- contemn
- contempt
- creature
- cuckold
- deride
- derision
- despise
- disdain
- indignation
- laughable
- laughter
- mock
- naught
- opprobrious
- patent
- phooey
- pillory
- pooh-pooh
- sarcasm
- satire
- smile
- smirk
- sneer
- supercilious
- affront
- askew
- belabor
- belittle
- childish
- contumely
- cynical
- defy
- despite
- dor
- fiddle-de-dee
- flaunt
- flout
- gibbet
- Gleipnir
- hissing
- insult
- invective
- laugh
- look
- lout
- mark