contempt
/kənˈtɛmpt/noun
contempt is spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, contempt means “The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of contempt is contempts.
How many letters and syllables are in contempt?
| Letters | 8: C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.5 times per million words; the 10,519th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is contempt?
Contempt appears 5.5 times per million words in written English, the 10,519th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce contempt?
- /kənˈtɛmpt/
Contempt has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-contempt.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of contempt
- contempts plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does contempt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The state or act of contemning; the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn, disdain.
- 2
The state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace.
- 3
Open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body.
- 4
Ellipsis of contempt factor.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Contempt in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mépris, contemnement, contemption , outrage |
| German | Verachtung , Mißachtung, Beamtenbeleidigung , Schande, Blamage |
| Portuguese | desprezo, desdém, contempto , desacato |
| Spanish | desprecio, desdén , desacato , desgracia, deshonra, vergüenza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does contempt come from?
From Latin contemptus (“scorn”), from contemnō (“to scorn, despise”), from com- + temnō (“to despise”). Displaced native Old English forsewennes.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).