contemptuous
/kənˈtɛm(p).tʃu.əs/adjective
contemptuous is spelled C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T-U-O-U-S: 12 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, contemptuous means “Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in contemptuous?
| Letters | 12: C-O-N-T-E-M-P-T-U-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th 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 contemptuous?
Contemptuous appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th 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 contemptuous?
- UK /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃu.əs/
- UK /kənˈtɛm(p).tʃəs/
- UK /kənˈtɛm(p).tju.əs/
Contemptuous has 4 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-contemptuous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of contemptuous
- more contemptuous comparative
- most contemptuous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does contemptuous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Showing contempt; expressing disdain; showing a lack of respect.
I don't know that guy, but he just gave me a contemptuous look.
- 2
rareWorthy of contempt; contemptible.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Contemptuous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense showing contempt:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | méprisant, dédaigneux, contempteur |
| German | respektlos |
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 contemptuous come from?
From Latin contemptus (whence contempt) + -ous.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).