scorn









scorn


noun

  1. open or unqualified contempt; disdain: His face and attitude showed the scorn he felt.
  2. an object of derision or contempt.
  3. a derisive or contemptuous action or speech.

verb (used with object)

  1. to treat or regard with contempt or disdain: They scorned the old beggar.
  2. to reject, refuse, or ignore with contempt or disdain: She scorned my help.

verb (used without object)

  1. to mock; jeer.

Idioms

  1. laugh to scorn, to ridicule; deride: Her good advice was laughed to scorn.

noun

  1. open contempt or disdain for a person or thing; derision
  2. an object of contempt or derision
  3. archaic an act or expression signifying contempt

verb

  1. to treat with contempt or derision
  2. (tr) to reject with contempt

n.c.1200, a shortening of Old French escarn “mockery, derision, contempt,” a common Romanic word (cf. Spanish escarnio, Italian scherno) of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *skarnjan “mock, deride” (cf. Old High German skern “mockery, jest, sport,” Middle High German scherzen “to jump with joy”). Probably influenced by Old French escorne “affront, disgrace,” which is a back-formation from escorner, literally “to break off (someone’s) horns,” from Vulgar Latin *excornare (source of Italian scornare “treat with contempt”), from Latin ex- “without” (see ex-) + cornu “horn” (see horn (n.)). v.c.1200, from Anglo-French, Old North French escarnir (Old French escharnir), from the source of scorn (n.). Cf. Old High German skernon, Middle Dutch schernen. Related: Scorned; scorning. Forms in Romanic languages influenced by confusion with Old French escorner “deprive of horns,” hence “deprive of honor or ornament, disgrace.”

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