# scorn

> English word · Verb · IPA /skɔːn/ · frequency rank #24,584

## Definitions
1. To feel or display contempt or disdain for something or somebody; to despise.
2. To reject, turn down.
3. To refuse to do something, as beneath oneself.
4. To scoff, to express contempt.

## Etymology
Verb from Middle English scornen, schornen, alteration of Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin *escarnire, from Proto-West Germanic *skarnijan, possibly from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”)), or possibly related to *skarną (“dung, filth”) (from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱerd-, *(s)ḱer- (“dung, manure, filth”)). Noun from Old French escarn (cognate with Portuguese escárnio, Spanish escarnio and Italian scherno). Cognate with Middle High German schern (“joke, mockery, scorn”), Old English sċierniċġe (“female entertainer, juggler, actress”).

## Easily confused with
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-son)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sor)
- **soon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-soon)
- **sort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sort)
- **sore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sore)
- **Scot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-scot)
- **Sion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sion)
- **sora** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sora)
- **sown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sown)
- **story** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-story)
- **short** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-short)
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-store)
- **shown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-shown)
- **sport** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sport)
- **Scott** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-scott)
- **storm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-storm)
- **sword** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-sword)
- **shore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-shore)
- **scout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-scout)
- **stern** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scorn-vs-stern)

## Common misspellings (8)
`csorn`, `sccorn`, `sconr`, `scornn`, `scorrn`, `scron`, `socrn`, `sscorn`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/scorn