Adjacent Words

Scorn definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SCORN, n.
1. Extreme contempt; that disdain which springs from a person's opinion of the meanness of an object, and a consciousness or belief of his own superiority or worth.
He thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone. ESther 3.
Every sullen frown and bitter scorn but fann'd the fuel that too fast did burn.
2. A subject of extreme contempt, disdain or derision; that which is treated with contempt.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are around us. Psalms 44.
To think scorn, to disdain; to despise. obs.
To laugh to scorn, to deride; to make a mock of; to ridicule as contemptible.
They laughed us to scorn. Nehemiah 2.
SCORN, v.t.
1. to hold in extreme contempt; to despise; to contemn; to disdain. job. 16.
Surely he scorneth the scorner; but he giveth grace to the lowly. Proverbs 3.
2. to think unworth; to disdain.
Fame that delights around the world to stray, scorns not to take our Argos in her way.
3. To slight; to disregard; to neglect.
This my long suff'rance and my day of grace, those who neglect and scorn, shall never taste.
SCORN, v.i. To scorn at, to scoff at; to treat with contumely, derision or reproach. Obs.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; "he was held in contempt"; "the despite in which outsiders were held is legendary" [syn: contempt, disdain, scorn, despite]
2: open disrespect for a person or thing [syn: contempt, scorn] v
1: 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" [syn: contemn, despise, scorn, disdain]
2: reject with contempt; "She spurned his advances" [syn: reject, spurn, freeze off, scorn, pooh-pooh, disdain, turn down]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French escharne, escar, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German scern jest Date: 13th century 1. open dislike and disrespect or derision often mixed with indignation 2. an expression of contempt or derision 3. an object of extreme disdain, contempt, or derision ; something contemptible II. verb Date: 13th century transitive verb to treat with scorn ; reject or dismiss as contemptible or unworthy <scorned local traditions> <scorned to reply to the charge> intransitive verb to show disdain or derision ; scoff Synonyms: see despise • scorner noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 disdain, contempt, derision. 2 an object of contempt etc. (the scorn of all onlookers). --v.tr. 1 hold in contempt or disdain. 2 (often foll. by to + infin.) abstain from or refuse to do as unworthy (scorns lying; scorns to lie). Phrases and idioms: think scorn of despise. Derivatives: scorner n. Etymology: ME f. OF esc(h)arn(ir) ult. f. Gmc: cf. OS skern MOCKERY

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scorn Scorn (sk[^o]rn), v. i. To scoff; to mock; to show contumely, derision, or reproach; to act disdainfully. He said mine eyes were black and my hair black, And, now I am remembered, scorned at me. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scorn Scorn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scorned (sk[^o]rnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Scoring.] [OE. scornen, scarnen, schornen, OF. escarnir, 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 sufferance, 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scorn Scorn (sk[^o]rn), n. [OE. scorn, scarn, scharn, OF. escarn, escharn, eschar, of German origin; cf. OHG. skern mockery, skern[=o]n to mock; but cf. also OF. escorner to mock.] 1. Extreme and lofty contempt; haughty disregard; that disdain which springs 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 [ae]on 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 ridicule as contemptible. Syn: Contempt; disdain; derision; contumely; despite; slight; dishonor; mockery.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(scorns, scorning, scorned) 1. If you treat someone or something with scorn, you show contempt for them. Researchers greeted the proposal with scorn... = contempt N-UNCOUNT: oft with N, N for n 2. If you scorn someone or something, you feel or show contempt for them. Several leading officers have quite openly scorned the peace talks... VERB: V n 3. If you scorn something, you refuse to have it or accept it because you think it is not good enough or suitable for you. ...people who scorned traditional methods. VERB: V n 4. If you pour scorn on someone or something or heap scorn on them, you say that you think they are stupid and worthless. It is fashionable these days to pour scorn on those in public life... He used to heap scorn on Dr Vazquez's socialist ideas. = deride PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

skorn: Fox Talbot connects this English word with the Danish skarn, "dirt," "ordure" "mud," "mire." As distinguished from such words as "mock," "deride," "scoff," all of which refer specifically to the various ways in which scorn finds outward expression, scorn itself denotes a subjective state or reaction.

Further, this state or reaction is not simple but complex. It includes a sense of superiority, resentment, and aversion. This reaction occurs when one is confronted with a person or a proposition that by challenging certain things for itself evokes a vivid sense of one's own superiority and awakens mingled resentment, repulsion and contempt by the hollowness of its claims and its intrinsic inferiority or worse. Scorn is a hotter, fiercer emotion than disdain or contempt. It is obvious that scorn may--indeed, it not uncommonly does--arise in connection with an not grounded, arrogant sense of self-esteem.

The word, outside of the phrase "laugh to scorn," is found only in the Old Testament, and then only 4 times (Es 3:6; King James Version, Ps 44:13; 79:4; Hab 1:10), and it represents three different Hebrew words for none of which it is a suitable rendering. The two words "thought scorn" in Es 3:6 represent but one in Hebrew, namely, bazah, for which "disdain" would be a nearer equivalent. In Hab 1:10 (the King James Version) the word translated "scorn" is micchaq, "an object of laughter," "laughing-stock." In Ps 44:13; 79:4 the Hebrew word is la`agh from a root, probably meaning "to stutter," "stammer," for which "mocking" is a better English equivalent. In the King James Version Job 34:7; Ps 123:4, la`agh is rendered "scorning". (the rendering given in Pr 1:22 to latson, a word from a totally different root and one much more nearly approximating the fundamental idea of the English word "Scorn." In Pr 29:8 and Isa 28:14 latson is rendered "scornful").

As a verb the word is the translation given to la`agh, "to mock" (2Ki 19:21 parallel Isa 37:22 Job 22:19; Ne 2:19; Ps 22:7, "all laugh to scorn"); qalas = "to scoff" (Eze 16:31, margin "Greek: scoffeth," but text still "scorneth"); for the noun tsechoq, "laughter" (Eze 23:32); sachaq = to laugh," "laugh at" (Job 39:7,18; 2Ch 30:10), with the noun sechoq, "laugh to scorn" (the Revised Version (British and American) "laughing-stock," Job 12:4); luts = "to scoff" (as used in ethical and religious connections) (Job 16:20; Pr 3:34; 9:12, all "scoff" in the Revised Version (British and American)); in Pr 19:28 the Revised Version (British and American), not happily, "mock at." the Revised Version (British and American) is warranted in substituting "scoff" for "scorn" because the context indicates some form of outward expression of the scorn.

The Revised Version (British and American) always (except Job 12:4; Sirach 6:4; 1 Macc 10:70) retains "laugh to scorn" (2Ki 19:21; 2Ch 30:10; Ne 2:19; Job 22:19; Ps 22:7; Isa 37:22; Eze 16:31; 23:32; /RAPC 2Es 2:21; Jdt 12:12; Wis 4:18; Sir 7:11; 13:7; 20:17; Mt 9:24; Mr 5:40; Lu 8:53). The verb in Apocrypha and the New Testament is usually katagelao, but in The Wisdom of Solomon 4:1 ekgelao; in Sirach 13:7 [@katamokomai; and in 2 Esdras 2:21 inrideo. In addition "scorn" is retained in Es 3:6; Job 39:7,18; /RAPC 2Es 8:56 (contemno). In Pr 19:28 "scorn" is changed to "mock at" but elsewhere invariably to "scoff."

Scorner is the translation of the participle of luts and once of the participle of latsats. For "scorner" the Revised Version (British and American) everywhere substitutes--properly--"scoffer." Outside of Proverbs (and Ho 7:5) the word is to be found only in Ps 1:2. The force of the word has been well indicated by Cheyne, who says that the "scorner (scoffer) is one who despises that which is holy and avoids the company of the noble `wise men,' but yet in his own vain way seeks for truth; his character is marked by arrogance as that of the wise is characterized by devout caution."

W. M. McPheeters

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Contemn, despise, disdain, scout, spurn, disregard, slight, hold in contempt. II. v. n. Disdain. III. n. 1. Contempt, disdain, derision, mockery, slight, sneer. 2. Mockery, derision, scoff.

Moby Thesaurus

abhor, airs, arrogance, be above, be contemptuous of, care nothing for, clannishness, cliquishness, contemn, contempt, contemptuousness, contumely, deprecation, deride, derision, despisal, despise, despite, disavow, disdain, disdainfulness, dismissal, disown, disparage, disparagement, disprize, disregard, dump on, exclusiveness, feel contempt for, feel superior to, flout, flouting, fuss, gibing, hauteur, hold beneath one, hold cheap, hold in contempt, hold in derision, ignore, insult, jeer at, jeering, laugh at, laugh to scorn, look, look down upon, make fun of, misprize, mockery, pick and choose, poke fun at, pooh-pooh, put down, rank low, rebuff, reject, rejection, ridicule, scoff at, scoffing, scornfulness, scout, set at defiance, set at naught, shun, slight, slight over, sneer at, sneering, sneeze at, sniff at, sniffiness, snobbishness, snootiness, snort at, snottiness, snub, sovereign contempt, spurn, superciliousness, taunt, taunting, think nothing of, toploftiness, treat with contempt