disdainful

/dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/

//dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl// adj

"disdainful" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“disdainful” is an uncommon English word, ranked #62,842 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#62,842
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Showing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.

Key facts for disdainful
PropertyValue
Headworddisdainful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#62,842
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “disdainful” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). disdainful lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for disdainful is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #62,842 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Showing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for disdainful in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From disdain + -ful. The correct English form is disdainful, spelled D-I-S-D-A-I-N-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Showing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.

Etymology

From disdain + -ful.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "disdainful"?
"disdainful" is spelled D-I-S-D-A-I-N-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/.
What does "disdainful" mean?
As an adjective, "disdainful" means: Showing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.
How do you pronounce "disdainful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "disdainful" is /dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "disdainful"?
From disdain + -ful. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “disdainful”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-D-A-I-N-F-U-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪsˈdeɪn.fəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list