Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: desdeignier, from deignier; DEIGN

disdain

2 verb
     
disdain2 formal
1 [transitive] to have no respect for someone or something, because you think they are not important or good enough:
Childcare was seen as women's work, and men disdained it.
2

disdain to do something

to refuse to do something because you are too proud to do it:
Butler disdained to reply.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary results for "disdain"
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary